The Power of Love
by cleotheo
Summary: A teenage pregnancy leads Hermione Granger and Draco Malfoy to seek the help of the Order. But when Voldemort discovers Draco's secret he has the perfect leverage to get the young wizard to do exactly as he wants.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N – I Haven't done this for a while, but I'm publishing a story I haven't yet finished writing. For a while now, my Children of the Dark series has been my main priority and it means I haven't got a backlog of long stories finished and ready to be published. However, I've got several heading towards the final stages and this is one of them. So far I've done 30 chapters of this story, so for now I will be publishing it once a week on a Wednesday. Updates will likely move up to twice a week when I've finished it, but for now it's a weekly story.**

 **This story takes place during the war, but some events are different (mainly there was no battle at the ministry at the end of fifth year, meaning Sirius is alive, Lucius isn't in Azkaban and Draco doesn't have the mark). I also want to mention that this story features a pretty dark Lucius – and he's quite different from how I normally portray him but for this story I needed him to be more devoted to the dark arts and Voldemort than to his family.**

 **I hope people enjoy this story.**

* * *

Alone in his office the Headmaster of Hogwarts, Albus Dumbledore, had just poured himself a nice cup of tea and was settling down to enjoy it with a few biscuits when there was a knock on his door. Wondering who could be disturbing him on a Sunday afternoon, Dumbledore reluctantly placed his tea and biscuits on his desk and went to answer the door. When he opened the door the last thing he expected to find was Hermione Granger and Draco Malfoy hovering outside his office, both looking worried and nervous.

Dumbledore nodded at the unexpected pair in greeting. "Miss Granger, Mr Malfoy. What can I do for you, this afternoon?"

"We need to talk to you in private," Hermione answered. "It's important, and very personal."

"Come in." Dumbledore stepped aside to let the two students enter the office, curious as to what they wanted.

Dumbledore's curiosity was aroused even further when the pair entered the office and the headmaster spotted they were holding hands. Even when the pair took seats in front of his desk they continued to hold hands as they clearly looked at each other for support.

"Can I get either of you a cup of tea?" Dumbledore asked.

"No thank you." Draco shook his head as he answered for the pair of them.

"How can I help?" Dumbledore asked as he settled himself behind his desk and studied the two sixth years in front of him.

"As you've probably guessed, we're a couple," Draco announced, lifting his hand that was entwined with Hermione's. "I don't think we really need to go into details, but we've been together since last year and we're serious about one another."

Dumbledore nodded, wondering if the meeting was all about Draco approaching him to join the Order of the Phoenix. The Order was Dumbledore's organisation that fought against the dark wizard Lord Voldemort. Hermione was associated with the group, although not technically a member, because of her friendship with Harry Potter and the Weasleys. Draco however came from a family with very clear ties to the dark side, in fact his father Lucius was a known Death Eater and one of Voldemort's top supporters.

"I'm pregnant," Hermione declared, taking Dumbledore by surprise.

Dumbledore opened and closed his mouth a few times before he finally found some words. "How sure are you? Have you been to see Madam Pomfrey?"

"I haven't been to the hospital wing," Hermione replied. "We looked up the spell to check for pregnancy and we've tried it four times. Each time it comes back positive. I'm pregnant."

"And we need your help," Draco told the headmaster. "My father can't find out about the baby. He'll go mad if he finds out I've gotten involved with Hermione."

"I'm not really sure I can help you there," Dumbledore said gently to the blond Slytherin. "You and Miss Granger are in my care, I'm obligated to inform your parents of the situation."

"We understand that," Draco replied. "What I'm asking is that you inform my mother of the situation. If we do it right my father need never know what's going on."

"How exactly can we do that?" Dumbledore questioned. "Even an owl addressed to your mother will go to the manor, and there's no guarantee your father won't see it's from the school and open it."

"What I'm about to tell you is top secret, and you have to promise not to make it public knowledge," Draco said. "Please Professor, we need your help."

"I promise to help in whatever way I can, and I promise not to tell anyone what you're about to tell me," Dumbledore vowed.

Draco let out a relieved sigh, before confessing something he'd only ever told Hermione. "My mother doesn't live at the manor, in fact neither do I. When The Dark Lord returned in fourth year my mother made a deal with him and my father. In exchange for playing the loving wife, and not letting anyone know what was going on, she was given permission to move into another Malfoy property with me."

"May I ask why your mother made such a deal?" Dumbledore asked.

"My mother could tell you the reasons much better than I can, but mainly it's because Father has let The Dark Lord take up residence in the manor," Draco explained. "My mother doesn't want anything to do with him, and she doesn't want me having anything to do with him either."

"Why would your father and The Dark Lord agree to such a thing?" Dumbledore frowned, not entirely convinced that Draco wasn't spinning him some tall tale for some reason.

"They agreed so she wouldn't go to the Order," Draco answered. "I don't know all the details, but as long as everyone thinks everything is okay with my parents' marriage, Father and The Dark Lord leave us alone."

"Have you ever met Voldemort?" Dumbledore questioned, noticing the way Draco winced at the use of Voldemort's name. Only a chosen few were brave enough to refer to Voldemort by name, and clearly it was something Draco wasn't used to hearing.

"No." Draco shook his head. "When I went home the summer after fourth year my parents explained what was going to happen over dinner. Once we'd finished dinner mother and I left and I haven't slept at the manor since."

"Did it not bother you, being torn away from your home?" Dumbledore probed. He was beginning to think that Draco was telling the truth, but he wanted to be sure before he became too involved in the Malfoys private situation.

"I'd rather be with my mother than in a home with The Dark Lord in residence," Draco admitted. "To be honest I was so relieved when I found out we were leaving. The last few weeks of fourth year I was terrified that I would have to meet The Dark Lord once I returned home."

"I was always under the impression that you supported your father's beliefs regarding muggleborns," Dumbledore commented.

"I did when I first started school, but a few months at Hogwarts showed me how wrong my father was," Draco replied. "It took me a few years to totally break free of my father's teachings, but these days I form my own opinions about people and make my own decisions. And I don't want to get involved with dark wizards, I'm happy the way things are."

"A lot of us are, which is why we're fighting Voldemort and his supporters," Dumbledore said. "I'm happy that this isn't some trap of some kind, and I'm willing to help. Sorry if I was too hard on you, Draco."

"It's alright," Draco reassured the headmaster. "It's understandable that you wanted to be sure about me, especially given who my father is."

"Does this mean, you're going to help us?" Hermione asked.

"Yes." Dumbledore nodded. "I will help you, and I will protect the pair of you and your baby. We are of course going to have to bring some other people in on this. I'll speak to Professors Snape and McGonagall, and I'll arrange for you to have a private appointment with Madam Pomfrey. And of course I'll inform your parents and Mrs Malfoy, and bring them in for a chat. We can then decide on the best course of action from there. What sort of reactions, do you think we can expect from your parents?"

"My mother will be shocked, but she'll support us," Draco replied confidently.

"I'm not so sure about my parents," Hermione admitted quietly. "They won't like the fact that I'm pregnant while I'm still at school. And it's not as if we have the best relationship these days, not since we discovered I was a witch and I started Hogwarts."

Dumbledore nodded sympathetically, knowing a little bit about Hermione's situation with her parents. While he didn't know the Grangers personally he knew from Professor McGonagall that they hadn't taken the news that Hermione was a witch that well. He also knew from the Weasleys that the Grangers were pretty standoffish in their dealings with the family, and often they only let Hermione visit with her friends with a lot of complaining.

"I'm sure we can deal with everything together," Dumbledore said, smiling at the couple. "Now why don't the pair of you head off to enjoy the rest of your afternoon? Miss Granger, I'll let you know when the best time to see Madam Pomfrey is, and I'll inform you when your parents are coming in. Hopefully by the time we talk to your parents we'll have official confirmation of the pregnancy, and know when exactly the baby is due."

"Thank you Professor." Hermione smiled at the old man as she and Draco stood up to leave. "We appreciate all your help."

"Think nothing of it," Dumbledore replied. "It's a pleasure to help. Now off you go and don't worry, everything will be fine."

As the two students exited his office, Dumbledore slumped down in his seat, wondering what on earth he was going to do. The entire situation was going to be very delicate and he knew it had to be handled correctly. The consequences of Lucius and Voldemort finding out about Hermione's pregnancy could be catastrophic. What he had to do was ensure the safety of Draco, Hermione and their baby, and that was exactly what he intended to do.

* * *

 **::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::**

* * *

A few days later, Dumbledore was once again in his office with Draco and Hermione. This time however, Draco's mother, Hermione's parents and Professors Snape and McGonagall were present. The previous day Hermione had been examined by Madam Pomfrey and the school medi-witch had confirmed Hermione was indeed pregnant. Madam Pomfrey reckoned the baby had been conceived sometime over the Christmas break, which was what Draco and Hermione reckoned as well, therefore it was due in mid to late September.

Currently there was silence in the room as Dumbledore had just broken the news of Hermione's pregnancy. Narcissa looked to be struggling with what to say, while the Grangers were looking at their daughter in pure horror. Dumbledore suspected that the couple's reaction would not be good, and sure enough they didn't disappoint when they finally spoke.

"This is disgraceful," Richard Granger declared. "How on earth can you let a teenage girl get pregnant in your school?" He demanded of Dumbledore.

"It is a regretful incident, but it's happened and all we can do now is cope with the situation," Dumbledore answered.

"Dad, it's not Professor Dumbledore's fault," Hermione said quietly. "Draco and I are responsible, no-one else."

"The pair of you are mainly responsible for this mess, but the school still has to shoulder some blame," Hermione's mother, Jean, said. "How were you even allowed to be together in that way?"

"With all due respect, we can't watch the students twenty four hours a day," Severus Snape remarked. "In a school full of teenagers it's only to be expected that there's some sort of sexual activity going on somewhere."

"Well my daughter should never have been allowed to partake," Richard huffed. "This is scandalous, and we're taking Hermione home to sort this out."

"What do you mean, sort out?" Hermione asked her parents warily.

"You can't have a baby, Hermione, you're too young," Jean told her daughter. "You're going to come home with us, and we can arrange to have everything taken care of at the local clinic."

"I'm not having an abortion." Hermione shook her head violently as her hand automatically fell to her stomach. "This is my baby, and I'm keeping it."

"You will do no such thing," Richard insisted. "You either come home and deal with the problem, or you don't come home at all."

"You don't mean that," Hermione gasped, her eyes filling with tears.

"We do." Jean nodded, supporting her husband. "I'm sorry Hermione, but we won't tolerate this sort of behaviour. You can come home and we can sort this out together. In a few weeks the pregnancy won't be an issue, and we can forget all about Hogwarts and magic."

"No," Hermione whispered her response. "I belong here, with Draco. I'm not coming home, I'm not getting rid of our baby, and I'm not going to forget I'm a witch."

"Then I guess we're done," Richard said, standing up and holding out his hand for his wife. "You know where to find us when you come to your senses, Hermione."

"I can't believe you people," Narcissa hissed, speaking up for the first time as the Grangers made their way towards the door of the office. "Would you really abandon your own daughter?"

"We wouldn't be doing this if it wasn't for your son," Richard shot back at the blonde witch. "He's the cause of this trouble, not us."

"At least Draco is prepared to stand by Hermione," Narcissa said. "This pregnancy may not have been planned, and I can't say I'm totally happy with it, but it's happening and we have to deal with it. Becoming a parent is hard enough at any time, but it's so much harder when you're a teenager and still in school. Draco and Hermione need our support, not our condemnation."

"You can support them all you want, we can't," Jean replied. "We brought Hermione up to have some morals and self-respect, clearly that has all gone out of the window while she's been up at this school. We cannot support our teenage daughter having a baby while she's still in school."

"Then you had better leave then," Hermione said to her parents. "I can do this without you."

"Could someone please let us out of this godforsaken place?" Richard questioned as his daughter turned to her boyfriend and buried her head in his shoulder as he wrapped his arms around her.

"Allow me," Minerva McGonagall offered in a frosty voice. She'd met the Grangers before and it had been her that had helped them floo to the school less than an hour ago, so she was more than happy to help get rid of them, especially given the appalling way they had just treated their only daughter.

While McGonagall was seeing the Grangers off the premises, the rest of the occupants in the office were coming to terms with what had just happened. Hermione was in tears in Draco's arms and all the adults were totally shocked that her parents had just walked out on her. Even though Dumbledore had been expecting a bad reaction from the Grangers, this went beyond anything he could have imagined.

"What do I do now?" Hermione questioned, looking up at Draco.

"You'll come and stay with us," Narcissa answered, smiling reassuringly at the young girl she'd just met. "I can't say I'm happy with the situation, but I won't abandon you and Draco. This baby is my grandchild, and I will be there for them and you all the way."

"Thank you Mother." Draco smiled gratefully at his mother. He'd always known he could rely on Narcissa, but it was great that she'd some through and supported Hermione as well.

Narcissa smiled back at her son as Dumbledore offered Hermione a handkerchief to dry her eyes with. By the time Hermione was composed enough to carry on talking, Professor McGonagall had returned having seen the Grangers safely home.

"What we need to discuss now, is how things are going to progress from here," Dumbledore announced. "Obviously it's imperative that Draco's father and Voldemort don't find out about the baby."

"Won't that be an issue if Hermione is staying with Narcissa and Draco?" McGonagall questioned. Dumbledore had briefly explained about the situation with the Malfoys, but McGonagall wasn't totally sure about the details.

"No," Narcissa replied. "My husband never comes to our house without a prior arrangement. It was part of our deal. If I play the part of a good wife, he'll leave Draco and I alone."

"May I ask why you made such a deal?" Dumbledore inquired. He didn't want Narcissa to think he was prying, but considering how much trust Hermione was going to place in her, he felt he needed as many answers as possible.

"It's no secret that Lucius has always been a dabbler in the dark arts, and I was well aware of that when we got married. However things changed when he got seriously involved with The Dark Lord and I realised just how dangerous things could get. Once I had Draco things just seemed even more dangerous and I was on the verge of leaving Lucius when the incident with the Potters happened. I stayed with Lucius because I loved him, and I wanted my son to have his father in his life," Narcissa explained. "However when The Dark Lord returned, I was appalled when Lucius offered him residence in our home. Again I was going to leave Lucius as I wasn't happy with Draco living in the same house as The Dark Lord, but we spoke and he offered me a deal. No-one knows I no longer live at the manor, and providing I attend any public functions with him, Draco and I are left alone."

"Is Voldemort happy for that to happen?" Dumbledore asked, wondering why the dark wizard would allow the wife of one of his top men to leave and take their son with her.

"He would rather that, than I went to the Order or the Aurors," Narcissa replied. "He seems happy as long as I play my part as a supportive wife. No doubt he thinks Draco will follow in his father's footsteps and join him, but that's Draco's decision to make. I've done all I can to keep my son away from that monster."

"Not that I would ever go near him," Draco snorted. "I want no part in being a Death Eater."

Dumbledore nodded at the two Malfoys, satisfied that they could be truly trusted and what he was about to suggest would be the best solution all round.

"I've been thinking about the situation, and in a funny sort of way Miss Granger's parents have made things easier." Dumbledore said. "My plan was to hide Hermione's pregnancy throughout the rest of the year. I've discussed it with Madam Pomfrey and she thinks it's possible to disguise her pregnancy with the help of a few charms and Miss Granger's naturally baggy clothing. With the baby being born in September I thought we could arrange for someone to take care of the child while both Hermione and Draco return to complete their last year of school."

"I could do that," Narcissa volunteered. "As long as I had help for when I'm expected to accompany Lucius to an event."

"I was thinking of bringing another couple of trusted Order members on board," Dumbledore suggested. "They can provide extra security for the baby, and help with childcare if needed. But the important thing is that the baby is safe."

"Of course, you're assuming Miss Granger wants to return to school next year," Snape remarked.

"I am." Dumbledore nodded. "Of course it is Miss Granger's choice, but it will arouse fewer suspicions if things remain as normal as possible. Once school is then over we can discuss what happens then with Draco, Hermione and the baby."

"I would like to come back to school and finish my education," Hermione admitted when attention turned to her. "But I don't know if I'll be able to leave the baby, plus it's not due until the middle of the month at the earliest. I can't come back to school so heavily pregnant and disappear to have the baby."

"I was thinking you wouldn't come back until after you'd had the baby," Dumbledore replied. "We can say you're not well with some sort of muggle disease and we don't want to risk spreading it around the school. As for seeing the baby, I was planning on making the pair of you Head Students and as such you'll be in a private dorm. Obviously we can sort details nearer the time, but we can arrange for you to see the baby every day and you could possibly even spend some weekends with the child."

"I think we can work with that," Hermione said, looking at Draco who nodded in agreement.

"Excellent." Dumbledore smiled. "We'll have everything sorted by the end of term, and no-one will be any the wiser about what's going on."


	2. Chapter 2

Sitting in a compartment on the Hogwarts Express, Hermione checked her watch to see how much longer the journey home would be. It was the end of term and the students were heading home for the summer, and while Hermione wanted to make the most of spending time with her friends as she wouldn't see them for a few months, she was getting tired and just wanted to be settled in at the Malfoys.

Hiding her pregnancy had been a lot simpler than Hermione had anticipated. Madam Pomfrey had cast concealment charms on her and her naturally baggy clothing also helped conceal her pregnancy. Luckily Hermione had suffered from no morning sickness and on a whole her pregnancy had run smoothly. However she was now over six months pregnant and hiding her condition was starting to take it's toll on her, all Hermione wanted was to spend some quality, relaxing time with Draco as they prepared to welcome their child into the world.

Hermione was just disappointed that her parents had refused to come round and accept that she was having a baby. Hermione had tried writing to her parents since the meeting in Dumbledore's office, but they made it clear that unless she was prepared to terminate her pregnancy they wanted nothing to do with her. In the end Hermione had arranged for Dumbledore to sort someone to go and get her stuff from home and she hadn't exchanged correspondence with her parents for weeks.

"Hermione?" Harry waved his hand in front of Hermione's face, bringing the brunette witch out of her thoughts.

"Sorry, I was miles away," Hermione said. "What did I miss?"

"Do you want anything from the sweet trolley?" Harry asked. "It's heading this way."

"I'm okay," Hermione replied. "I just need to use the bathroom."

"Again?" Ron questioned as Hermione got to her feet. "You've been three times since we left Hogsmeade."

"Thanks for keeping check and sharing that with everyone Ronald," Hermione muttered, rolling her eyes at her friend.

Ginny elbowed her brother in the ribs as Hermione left the compartment. "Honestly Ron, sometimes you're a right idiot."

"What I've done now?" Ron asked in bewilderment as he rubbed his side.

"I don't think you're supposed to mention how often girls go to the bathroom," Harry told his friends.

"I was just pointing out how unusual it was," Ron said, not understanding the problem. "She doesn't normally use the bathroom so often on a trip on the Hogwarts Express."

"Maybe she's having a few issues," Ginny hissed. "Just don't mention stuff like this in future."

"Issues?" Ron frowned. "What sort of issues?"

"Feminine issues," Ginny suggested, knowing that would shut Ron up once and for all.

Sure enough that was enough to shut Ron up, and he swiftly changed the subject to the sweet trolley that was rapidly making it's way towards them. By the time Hermione came back from the bathroom the trolley had been and her friends had stocked up on sweets and treats. Ron had also totally forgotten about his earlier remarks about Hermione's bathroom habits, and he never mentioned the reason she'd been gone.

"So what are your plans for the summer, Hermione?" Ginny asked. "Are you and your parents going on holiday this year?"

"I don't really know until I get home and speak to them," Hermione replied. She felt bad for lying to her friends, but she knew it was the only way. Hopefully once Dumbledore and the Order had dealt with Voldemort, Hermione could tell her friends about what was going on in her life.

"I would love to go away on holiday," Ron sighed wistfully. "Not that's it very likely, given our family's position within the Order."

"At least we'll be fully involved this year," Harry said to his friend. Dumbledore had promised that both Harry and Ron could officially join the Order over the summer, once Harry had turned seventeen at the end of July. "So far we've been sitting on the side-lines, only hearing bits and pieces through Sirius, at least now we're joining the action."

"It's alright for some," Ginny complained. "I'm still stuck out of the loop. No-one will let me help."

"You can help when you're seventeen," Ron told his disappointed sister. "We've had to wait, and Harry's the bloody chosen one. If they wouldn't let us know what was going on, they're not going to involve you."

"It's still unfair," Ginny pouted. When Harry and Ron joined the Order she would be left completely on her own as she knew both boys would immediately make sure they saw some action.

"Are you coming to stay sometime over the summer?" Ron asked Hermione. "You could also officially join the Order as well. Surely Dumbledore made the same offer to you."

"He did," Hermione replied. In fact she, Draco and Narcissa had officially joined the Order a few months ago.

"So will we be seeing you this summer?" Harry asked. "Dumbledore promised me that I could be at the Order's Headquarters within a few weeks of the holidays. All I have to do is return to the Dursleys for a few weeks to keep his protection spell on me in place so it doesn't break before my birthday. Then once I'm seventeen, I'll be with the Order anyway so I'll be safe."

"I don't know if you'll be seeing me, I guess I'll have to wait and see how my parents are feeling," Hermione answered. She knew that Harry and Ron understood how difficult her parents could be so it would be fairly easy to tell them that they were being stubborn and refusing to let her visit over the holidays.

"I hope you can come and visit," Ron said, looking disappointed that he might not see his friend until September.

Hermione muttered an agreement before swiftly changing the subject and asking if anyone fancied a game of exploding snap. Luckily the change of topic worked perfectly and as the four Gryffindors settled down to play card games, no more mention was made about the summer, much to Hermione's relief. Even though keeping her friends in the dark was the safest option, she still felt bad when she had to lie to them. Most of the past few months hadn't involved actual lying, but now she was having to tell a few tales just to answer some simple questions.

The rest of the journey passed fairly swiftly and Hermione was thrilled when they pulled into King's Cross Station. Several hours sitting on a cramped train was starting to take it's toll on her and she was dying to stretch her legs properly. Grabbing her trunk, which Dumbledore had charmed to be lightweight, Hermione followed her friends off the train.

"Hey, what's Tonks doing here?" Harry asked, pointing to where Nymphadora Tonks was standing chatting to Molly.

Tonks, alongside Remus Lupin, had been brought into things by Dumbledore to offer Hermione and the baby extra protection. Both Tonks and Lupin had visited Narcissa's house and added extra security wards, and they would be around until it was safe for people to know Hermione and Draco were together and had a child. Hermione was quite relieved by Dumbledore's choice of Order members to bring into things as she liked and trusted both Tonks and Lupin, and it would be nice to have some familiar faces around as she tried to adjust to everything that was happening.

"She's here for me," Hermione told her friends. "Did I forget to mention it? My parents are away at a dental conference, and Dumbledore didn't want me to be alone so he arranged for Tonks to come and pick me up and stay with me until my parents return."

"Why didn't he just arrange for you to come and stay with us?" Ron questioned. He didn't see anything unusual in Dumbledore not wanting Hermione to be alone as the world was a dangerous place with Voldemort running around and as a muggleborn and close friend to Harry, Hermione was definitely someone that could be targeted.

"It's only until later tonight," Hermione replied. "It's easier for Tonks to come to my house then for me to trail all the way to the Burrow for a few hours."

"I guess that does make sense," Harry said. "Just make sure you write regularly to let us know you're okay," He warned his friend.

"I will, don't worry," Hermione replied as the group reached Molly and Tonks.

While Molly fussed over Ron, Ginny and Harry, Tonks immediately grabbed Hermione's trunk from her hands. As Tonks greeted Hermione's friends, Hermione's attention drifted across to the platform to where she spotted her boyfriend approaching his parents. As usual both Lucius and Narcissa were present to meet their son from the Hogwarts Express and if you didn't know otherwise you would think they were a really close family. Lucius made a big show of greeting Draco, and all the time he had his arm wrapped securely around Narcissa's waist.

"We should be off," Molly announced. "Hermione, you know you're always welcome any time over the summer."

"I know," Hermione smiled at the older witch. "Thank you."

"Harry, are you okay getting back into the muggle world?" Molly checked. She would much rather take Harry straight home with her, but Dumbledore had explained about why Harry needed to spend a few weeks each summer at his aunt and uncle's house.

"He can come with us," Tonks offered. "We'll make sure he gets to the Dursleys safely."

"Oh joy," Harry muttered, rolling his eyes at the thought of returning to Privet Drive. The only consolation was that he was only ever there for a few weeks these days, and once he finished school next year he didn't have to return there again.

Saying goodbye to the Weasleys, Tonks led the way towards the barrier that led up to the muggle world. Before she crossed the barrier Hermione caught one last glimpse of Draco, who was preparing to apparate to the Manor with his parents. The couple shared a brief smile before Draco and his parents vanished into thin air and Hermione passed through the barrier into the muggle world.

Once in the muggle world the trio quickly located the Dursleys, who had reluctantly came to pick Harry up from the train station. Leaving Harry in the care of his relatives, Tonks made a point of telling Harry to write if he had any problems. The entire Order knew how the Dursleys used to treat Harry, and every time any of them came into contact with the muggle family they always made it clear that Harry now had a support network and people who genuinely cared for him and would be at his side the instant he needed help. The constant reminder of the support Harry had in the wizarding world kept the Dursleys in line and while Harry didn't enjoy spending time with his family at least they no longer abused him and treated him like dirt.

With Harry sorted, Tonks led the way out of King's Cross Station and into a nearby alley. Once there she pulled out a purse from her cloak and told Hermione to grab hold of both her hand and the purse.

"Sorry it's a portkey, but it's not safe for you to apparate in your condition," Tonks told the young witch. "And remember to keep tight hold of me, I'll steady you and make sure your landing is a smooth one."

Hermione nodded in understanding as the purse began to glow. Seconds later she and Tonks were sucked into the whirling vortex a portkey seemed to create. Hermione let go of the portkey when Tonks gestured for her to do so but she kept tight hold of the older witch's hand, until they landed safely on an immaculate lawn.

"Thanks Tonks," Hermione smiled. "If it wasn't for you, I would have ended up flat on my face."

"We couldn't have that. We have to keep you and that baby safe," Tonks grinned. "And speaking of safety, here we are. Your new home."

Hermione looked up at the large house in which they landed in front of. Even though Draco had mentioned the house he and Narcissa lived in was a decent size, she hadn't expected anything as grand. The house was a three story affair and even from the outside Hermione could tell it housed plenty of rooms.

"Let's get you inside," Tonks said, leading the way up to the front door. "Remus is already here, and he's sorting out dinner."

"Will you be staying until Draco and Narcissa return?" Hermione asked as Tonks opened the front door and led the way into a welcoming front hall.

"Yes, you'll not be left alone Hermione, don't worry," Tonks reassured the young witch as she placed her trunk down on the floor. "Tipsy," she suddenly called, startling Hermione.

Hermione was even more startled when a house elf popped up in front of her and Tonks asked her to take Hermione's trunk upstairs. Hermione didn't approve of the use of house elves, and she watched with a frown as Tipsy picked up her trunk and disappeared with a small pop.

"Tipsy is the only elf in residence," Tonks told Hermione, spotting the look of disapproval on the younger witch's face. "She belongs to the Black family and is Narcissa's personal elf. I assure you Narcissa treats her with the utmost respect and Tipsy isn't mistreated in any way. She loves Narcissa and lives to serve her, and Narcissa loves Tipsy in return and treats her like family."

"I guess I just didn't expect to see any elves," Hermione said. "Especially not a one who looks so happy. I can still remember the stories Harry told me about Dobby, and how he'd been mistreated by Lucius."

"As you're well aware, Narcissa isn't anything like Lucius," Tonks replied.

"No, she isn't," Hermione replied, thinking about everything Narcissa had done for her and how supportive she'd been.

"Come on, let's go and get you fed," Tonks said, taking hold of Hermione's hand and leading her to the dining room. "Narcissa wasn't sure how long she and Draco would be as they always have dinner at the Manor before returning here. Hopefully they'll be back before Madam Pomfrey arrives."

"Why's Madam Pomfrey coming?" Hermione asked, trying to study her surroundings as Tonks led the way to the dining room.

"She needs to remove the concealment charm on you," Tonks explained. "We don't need to disguise your pregnancy now. Plus she'll be making arrangements for further visits."

It had already been decided that Hermione wouldn't be going to a hospital to have the baby. Madam Pomfrey had taken care of everything so far in her pregnancy and she was fully qualified to deliver the baby when it was due. Narcissa and Tonks had also both promised to be present when she gave birth so they could support Hermione and assist Madam Pomfrey.

"It'll be strange to see the bump," Hermione remarked. With the concealment charm she'd only really seen her bump when Madam Pomfrey was examining her and checking everything was okay. Of course she could feel the baby when she placed her hand on her stomach, and she was acutely aware of the other changes her body was going through.

When Hermione and Tonks arrived at the dining room they found Remus already waiting for them with the food on the table. Remus greeted Hermione with a hug and the trio settled down to eat. Once they'd finished their meal, Tonks and Remus gave Hermione a quick tour of the ground floor before they settled in the living room.

"Is all my stuff here?" Hermione asked.

"It's all upstairs," Remus replied. "I think Narcissa has left it in the boxes for you to unpack."

"I think she was unsure of where to unpack your things," Tonks added. "She wasn't sure if you would be sharing with Draco or if you would prefer a room of your own."

Hermione would really prefer to share a room with Draco, but she knew the decision wasn't just down to her. She didn't want to just impose herself of Draco, if she shared his room she wanted it to be because that's what he wanted as well.

Not comfortable with talking about Hermione and Draco's sleeping arrangements, Remus swiftly changed the topic to school and what Hermione had been doing. Half an hour later Hermione was still talking to Remus about Hogwarts when the floo network lit up and Draco stepped from the flames, followed closely by Narcissa.

While Narcissa exchanged pleasantries with Tonks and Remus and checked everything was okay, Hermione stood up to greet Draco. Despite the presence of three adults in the room, Draco greeted Hermione with a searing kiss that left her breathless.

"I'm so pleased you're here," Draco admitted. In the last few months the couple hadn't managed to spend too much time together as most of their spare time had been taken up with planning everything to do with the pregnancy and what would happen after that.

"I'm pleased I'm here too," Hermione said, snuggling into her boyfriend. "I'm looking forward to being normal and not having to hide."

The couple's reunion was interrupted by a knocking on the front door, which Remus went off to answer. When he returned, he was accompanied by Madam Pomfrey and Dumbledore.

"It's good to see things seem to be running to plan," Dumbledore remarked, pleased to find everyone safe at the house. "We haven't had any problems, have we?"

"Everything was fine," Narcissa replied. "Things ran the same way as they always do, Lucius and I picked up Draco from the station and we had dinner together before leaving."

"Let's just hope things continue to run as smoothly," Dumbledore smiled. "Now shall we get on, I'm sure Miss Granger's eager to lose her concealment charm."

"I am," Hermione said as Madam Pomfrey pulled out her wand and approached her.

Ten minutes later Hermione's baby bump was visible for all to see, and the reality of the situation was beginning to sink in for Hermione and Draco as discussions got underway about how the rest of the summer would run. It was decided that Madam Pomfrey would visit every week, but she could be contacted at any time of day or night if there was an emergency. It was also revealed that Tonks and Remus were staying at a smaller house on the property, so they could be there in an instant if they were needed.

After a couple of hours discussing how things were going to work, Hermione started to yawn and feel tired. Draco immediately spotted his girlfriend's fatigue and suggested they head off to bed. Narcissa told Hermione that her boxes of belongings were in the spare room, but if she wanted to move into Draco's room she had no issue with it. After all she was already pregnant so it wasn't as if they had to worry about any accidents happening in that respect.

"Do you want to move into my room?" Draco asked Hermione as he led the way upstairs.

"Only if you want me there," Hermione replied.

"Of course I want you there," Draco reassured Hermione. "I've been waiting for this moment for months. You have no idea how much I've been longing to curl up with you in my bed."

"That sounds like heaven," Hermione said. "I can't wait to get into bed, I'm so tired."

Leading the way into his bedroom, Draco pointed out the adjoining bathroom and asked his girlfriend if there was anything she needed from her things in the spare room. Spotting her trunk in Draco's room, Hermione shook her head as she pulled her toiletries bag from it.

"What about night wear?" Draco questioned.

"I was thinking I might just sleep in one of your t-shirts," Hermione smiled. While she may not have been up for indulging in anything sexual that night, she still liked the idea of sleeping in Draco's clothes.

Liking the idea, Draco quickly found Hermione a green t-shirt and handed it to his girlfriend as she headed into the bathroom. When she re-entered the bathroom, Hermione was wearing the t-shirt and Draco grinned appreciatively at her. Even with her bump, which wasn't actually too big, she was still the most beautiful witch he'd ever laid eyes on. When Draco told Hermione that she merely laughed at him and told him to go and get ready for bed. When Draco returned from using the bathroom, wearing just a pair of grey pyjama bottoms, Hermione was already snuggled into bed and was practically asleep. Crawling into bed beside his girlfriend, Draco wrapped his arms around her as the pair drifted off to sleep.

* * *

 **A/N – I'm so pleased so many people seem to be looking forward to reading this story. I forgot to mention it in my note on the first chapter, so I just thought I ought to point out that this will not be one of my usual lighthearted fluffy stories. It's a pretty serious story, and there's plenty of drama and heartache ahead. I hope people still read it and enjoy it as much as I'm enjoying writing it.**


	3. Chapter 3

The warm early August sun shone down on Draco and Hermione as they lay on a throw in the back garden. The couple had been home from school for almost a month and Hermione was settling in nicely with Draco and Narcissa. Even though Draco knew his girlfriend missed her parents, he was pleased that she seemed happy and at ease with him and his mother. Luckily Narcissa had been a tower of strength for both Draco and Hermione and she had been nothing but supportive of the teenagers.

In the weeks that had passed since they returned from school, Hermione and Draco had started making plans for their future. They'd both decided they didn't want to know the sex of their baby, but they had spoken about names. Narcissa had mentioned the Black tradition of using stars and constellations as names and both Hermione and Draco were happy to follow the tradition. Almost immediately the pair found the perfect boy's name - Scorpius. However girl's names proved harder as they found two they really liked, Lyra and Cassiopeia. In the end they decided that it would be Scorpius if they had a boy, while if they had a girl they would make a final decision on names when she was born.

The couple had also briefly talked about what would happen once they finished school, but until Voldemort was defeated they had very few options. Hopefully at that point they could confide in the rest of the Order about their situation, but until then they would carry on as they were with a few select people helping them out.

"I think we should be heading inside," Hermione sighed. "We've been out here for hours."

"Does it matter?" Draco questioned. "It's nice to be able to spend some time together."

"We can still spend time together in the house," Hermione pointed out.

"I know, but Mother tends to pop up unexpectedly. At least out here we'd get advanced warning if she was approaching," Draco said. Since they were lying in the middle of the back garden it would be impossible for Narcissa to leave the house without them seeing her.

"She's not that bad," Hermione laughed as she sat up. "Besides we're going to be alone tonight when she's out."

That evening Narcissa was attending a charity function with Lucius, meaning the two teenagers would be properly alone since the holidays started. So far the only real time alone together they'd had was on a night in their bedroom.

"What's the betting we're still not alone?" Draco grumbled as he got to his feet and helped Hermione to her feet. "I bet she makes sure Tonks or Remus are here."

Hermione was pleased by how well Draco got on with Tonks and Remus. She had been initially worried about how her boyfriend would react to having two members of the Order around, especially since one was their former Professor that Lucius had played a major role in getting sacked and one was his cousin that's he'd never had contact with before now. Luckily Hermione's worries were unfounded and Draco didn't have any problems with Tonks and Remus, and they didn't seem to have any problems with him.

"Even if they are here, I'm sure they won't be too much trouble," Hermione said. "Hopefully we can persuade them to leave us alone, they are close by after all if anything was to happen."

Draco nodded in agreement as the pair entered the house. Finding no sign of Narcissa downstairs the pair headed off upstairs, knowing exactly where they would find Draco's mother. Sure enough they found Narcissa in the room they were converting into a nursery. Tonks and Remus had both been helping with the transformation, but they still needed a few more bits and pieces to complete the room. However it was rather tricky purchasing baby stuff as they didn't want anyone spotting Narcissa buying things for a baby in case word got back to Lucius, and they didn't want the same thing to happen with Tonks and Remus and word getting back to someone in the Order. That meant things were being bought in remote locations, and even the muggle world on a few occasions.

"I thought you two were still outside," Narcissa remarked, turning around and getting a surprise when she found her son and his girlfriend standing in the door.

"We decided we'd been out there long enough," Hermione replied.

"Maybe you would like to help me here," Narcissa suggested. "Nymphadora dropped off a few bits and pieces earlier and I was just about to put them away."

"I'll leave you two to it," Draco said as his girlfriend headed into the nursery to see what Tonks had brought. While he was pleased that the nursery was coming along, he had no desire to marvel over every baby thing that entered the house.

"Where are you going?" Narcissa asked her son. "This is your baby too."

"I'm well aware of that, Mother," Draco replied. "But I'm sure the pair of you can manage to sort the nursery out. I was thinking I might go and talk to Tipsy and ask if she could cook Hermione and I a meal tonight. It would be nice to spend some time together, especially since I'll be going back to school in a few weeks' time."

"That sounds like a lovely idea," Hermione said, smiling at her boyfriend.

Narcissa nodded her agreement, and before his mother could change her mind Draco rushed away from the nursery. When Draco found Tipsy, the elf was more than happy with the request and immediately set about organising a menu that contained all of Hermione's favourite foods. Draco didn't question how Tipsy knew Hermione's favourite foods as he knew his girlfriend had taken the time to get to know his mother's elf and he also knew that Tipsy was very good at getting people to tell her things without them even realising they'd done it.

After sorting the evening's dinner, Draco headed back upstairs. When he passed the nursery he saw Hermione and Narcissa were still quite happily sorting stuff out and gossiping. Smiling at how well the pair got along, Draco carried on past the nursery and headed into his bedroom that was situated a few doors down.

As it often did when he was alone, the thought that he was about to become a father floated around in Draco's head and panic set in. Part of Draco was terrified of the prospect of becoming a father at seventeen and most of the time he was convinced he wouldn't be up to the task. However there was another part of him that was looking forward to the event. True being a parent at seventeen wouldn't have been his ideal choice, but he wouldn't want to be doing this with anyone other than Hermione.

Hermione had totally changed Draco's life, and it was mainly her that made him the person he was now. Without Hermione in his life, he would likely have ended up just like his father had imagined. A snobby little pureblood that thought that all muggleborns were beneath him. Instead, Hermione happened to be in the same year as him at school and that simple event had changed everything for Draco.

Draco had in fact started Hogwarts as a snobby little pureblood who looked down on almost everyone, but Hermione quickly blew his father's teachings out of the water. Lucius had always told him that muggleborns were unworthy of practising magic and their skills were weak compared to purebloods like him. However, Hermione's skills weren't even on a par with Draco's, they surpassed his. With Hermione top of every class and seemingly taking to practising magic so easily, Draco had to admit that his father had been wrong.

Of course Draco didn't admit that too easily and it wasn't until second year when he'd had the guts to approach Hermione. Until then they'd barely spoken to one another, but Hermione was more than happy to talk to Draco despite the rivalries between their two houses. One conversation in second year led to a friendship developing between the pair, albeit it a secret one given the fact Draco's father would have disapproved of his son getting friendly with a muggleborn.

Friendship was the only thing between Draco and Hermione until the beginning to fifth year. Moving out of the manor the previous summer had given Draco a new found sense of freedom and when he returned to school he'd promised himself he would try his luck with Hermione. Luckily Hermione was receptive to his romantic overtures and the pair were a couple before they'd been back at school for a month. Despite Draco and Narcissa no longer living at the manor, Draco was still fearful of what his father would do if he discovered his relationship with Hermione so the pair conducted their romance the same way they'd conducted their friendship - in secret.

By sixth year the pair were very serious about one another, and at the beginning of the year they professed their love for one another. When Draco discovered he would be spending Christmas at Hogwarts, Hermione immediately made sure she was doing the same. Over the Christmas holidays they finally gave into their growing passions and slept together for the first time. By the time the rest of the school returned in the New Year they'd been at it like rabbits, and it continued into the new school term.

Draco had been fairly sure he'd been performing the contraceptive spell properly every time they were together, but something had clearly gone wrong as a few weeks after the holidays Hermione had come to him in tears, voicing her concerns that she was pregnant. Despite his total shock, Draco had vowed to stick by Hermione and he'd been there for her ever since. The pair had performed the charm to detect pregnancy together and when it was positive they talked everything through. Together they had decided to ask Dumbledore for help, and they vowed that even if he couldn't help they would find a way to be together with their baby. Luckily Dumbledore had helped and here they were a few weeks before Hermione gave birth with a support network of people that would protect their child from harm.

With his thoughts bringing him back into the present, Draco had just gotten off the bed to go and see if Hermione and his mother were still in the nursery when his girlfriend walked in the door. Smiling at Draco, Hermione flopped down on the bed which Draco had just vacated.

"How's the nursery coming?" Draco asked, sitting back down next to his girlfriend.

"We're nearly finished," Hermione replied. "Just a few more pieces and it's done."

"Excellent," Draco smiled. "Has mother gone to get ready for this evening?"

"Yes."

"Why don't you also get ready for tonight?" Draco suggested. "I could run you a nice bath and you could have a relaxing soak before dinner."

"I'd like that," Hermione smiled. "Your mother also mentioned that she would speak to Tonks and let her know we wanted some time alone. That'll probably mean that either Tonks or Remus will briefly check in to make sure everything is okay before leaving us alone."

"That'll be good, I'm looking forward to spending some time just the two of us," Draco said as he headed off into the bathroom to run Hermione's bath.

Once Hermione was settled in the bath, Draco headed off downstairs to check Tipsy was coming on okay with dinner. As expected the elf had everything in hand and all Draco had to do was set the dining room table for a nice romantic meal with his girlfriend. Once the table was set, Draco headed back to his room where he helped Hermione out of the bath and the pair got dressed for a romantic night together.

By the time Draco and Hermione were dressed and downstairs, Narcissa was also ready to go. After checking the pair would be okay, Narcissa headed off for the night, leaving via the house Tonks and Remus were staying in. Shortly after Narcissa had left, Tonks appeared and checked everything was in place and the house was impenetrable.

"Just floo us if you need anything," Tonks told the young couple.

"We will," Draco told the older witch. "Thanks, Tonks."

"Enjoy yourselves," Tonks called, waving at the pair as she apparated away.

"Finally we're alone," Draco sighed. "I thought it would never happen."

"Your problem is you're too impatient," Hermione told her boyfriend as they headed to the dining room.

"I am not impatient," Draco huffed.

"Yes, you are," Hermione laughed. "Wow, this is beautiful," She gasped as they entered the dining room.

"It's nothing," Draco shrugged as the couple settled down at the table.

"It's a lovely gesture Draco, thank you," Hermione smiled at the blond. "And do you realise this could be construed as our first real date? Up until now we've just grabbed time alone at Hogwarts, we've never been on a proper date."

"I know," Draco sighed. "I would have loved to have taken you to Hogsmeade, or even just had a picnic in the school's grounds."

"I understand why we couldn't do either of those things," Hermione reassured her boyfriend. "I know if we could, we would have had a proper date long before now. Let's just enjoy tonight, and now dwell on all the things we haven't been able to do."

Draco nodded and swiftly changed the subject as Tipsy appeared with the first course. As the couple ate a delicious meal they chatted about anything and everything, apart from the war and the danger they and their baby faced. Instead they focused on talking about what school would be like next year and what it would be like being parents.

"I just hope I can leave the baby when the time comes to return to school," Hermione confessed as the couple finished eating and headed into the front room to relax. "I don't want to give up my education, but leaving the baby will be hard."

"I know what you mean," Draco said. "I hate the fact I have to leave you in a few weeks. I know Dumbledore promised he would inform me the second you go into labour, but it's not the same as being with you. Then I'll have to leave you and the baby and return to school as though nothing has happened."

"Are we doing the right thing?" Hermione asked, biting her lower lip anxiously. "Should we not have asked Dumbledore to put us into hiding somewhere? We could have remained hidden away safely."

"You know as well as I do that it wouldn't have worked," Draco sighed ruefully. As tempting as the idea of hiding was, there was just too many problems with it. "My father wouldn't have just sat back if I'd suddenly dropped out of school and went missing. He would have scoured the world looking for me, and knowing him he would have had some way of tracing me through the family blood or something. Then there's your friends to consider, it would have to be a convincing story to get them to believe you've abandoned your final year of schooling."

"I know this is the best solution. It's the best way of keeping our secret and giving ourselves the best opportunity to have a real future," Hermione admitted. "I just wish it didn't involve us being separated from the baby."

"At least as Head Students we'll have our own dorms and can see the baby as often as we like," Draco said, trying to get his girlfriend to see the positives in the arrangement. "I've got to admit, Dumbledore isn't always my favourite person, but he's really come through on this one. He's making this as easy as it can be, and is helping us so much."

"Everyone's been great," Hermione said. "Apart from my parents, we've had amazing support from people. Not one person has lectured us about ending up pregnant, all they've done is support is wholeheartedly."

"We're pretty lucky to have such great people around us," Draco said.

"And I'm lucky to have you," Hermione told her boyfriend. "You've been amazing throughout this whole thing. A lot of people in your position would have walked away."

"I would never have walked away from you and the baby," Draco said gently. "I love you Hermione, and I love our baby. I'm always going to be there for the pair of you, no matter what."

"I love you too, Draco," Hermione whispered, leaning over and connecting her lips to Draco's.

The kissing soon became much more heated and Hermione suggested they retired to the bedroom. Draco eagerly led the way to the bedroom, where the couple slowly undressed each other and crawled onto the large bed. With Draco's return to school looming and Hermione's growing pregnancy they both knew they'd have precious few opportunities to be together in the coming months, so they intended to make the most of each other while they still could.


	4. Chapter 4

The first of September rolled round a lot quicker than Hermione and Draco had hoped. At the beginning of the holiday they felt as though they had loads of time in front of them, however the weeks just seemed to fly by. The last week had especially seemed to fly over as plans were made for the upcoming start of the new school year. Dumbledore, Snape and McGonagall were all heavily involved in the planning of how the upcoming year would run, therefore they were around a lot in the final week of the holidays.

"I really don't want to leave you," Draco sighed as he got ready to leave.

"I know." Hermione smiled sympathetically at her boyfriend. She really wanted him to stay with her, but they both knew they had to carry on as normal to avoid people getting suspicious.

"These next few weeks are going to be torture," Draco said as he sat down on the bed next to Hermione and took hold of her hand.

"I think this whole year will be hard," Hermione sighed, resting her head on Draco's shoulder. "I'm still not sure I'll be able to leave the baby."

"Dumbledore promised he could come up with something to explain your absence in school if that was the case," Draco replied.

Over the course of the last week they'd discussed the possibility of Hermione not returning to school. As things currently stood the plan was for her to return to school once she'd given birth, but everyone was aware that when it came down to leaving the baby she might not be able to go through with it. Dumbledore already had a plan in place to explain Hermione not returning to school with the rest of the students, but he'd promised that if Hermione chose not to return at all that he would explain things at school that wouldn't arouse people's suspicions about her sudden departure.

"How would you feel if I chose not to go back to Hogwarts?" Hermione asked.

"I'd miss you like crazy, but I'll understand," Draco answered. "I'm finding it hard to leave, and the baby's not even born yet. I'll understand if you can't come back to school, and I won't resent you for not returning. If things were different neither of us would be going back, we would be together as a family."

"If that's what we really want to happen, we'll have to hope Harry and Dumbledore can defeat Voldemort," Hermione said. "As long as Voldemort's around the only life we'll have together is a secret one in hiding."

"That won't happen," Draco vowed. "Potter, Dumbledore and the Order will triumph. We will do all we can to help them so we can be a family, me, you and our baby."

As he was talking, Draco's free hand dropped to Hermione's stomach where it rested on her sizeable bump. With her due date creeping nearer, Hermione had finally started to look like she was due to give birth any minute. At just over eight months along she was a fair size, and the baby was extremely active and was constantly wriggling around and kicking.

"And you little one, have to be good for your Mummy," Draco cooed to the bump. "Be and a good boy or girl and don't make her wait too long to see you. In fact don't make either of us wait, because I can't wait to meet you either."

"Do you think we should have found out the sex of the baby?" Hermione asked.

"It's a bit late to be changing our minds now, you'll be having the baby in a few weeks," Draco chuckled. "But I actually don't regret not finding out. I'm looking forward to getting a surprise when he or she is born."

"I just hope you're here for the birth," Hermione said quietly. While Dumbledore had assured them he would do his very best to get Draco to her side when she was in labour, Hermione knew it wasn't guaranteed that Draco would arrive in time for the birth of his child.

"I'll be here," Draco promised. "Nothing will stop me from being with you when you give birth to our child. I love you Hermione, and I will be here when our baby is born."

"I love you too," Hermione whispered as she joined her lips with Draco's in a lingering kiss.

The pair were still in the middle of their kiss when Narcissa's voice floated up the stairs announcing it was time to leave. Reluctantly the pair separated and while Hermione hauled herself off the bed, Draco gathered his bag and trunk. Slowly the couple descended the stairs and made their way into the front room where Narcissa was waiting with Tonks and Remus. While Narcissa would accompany Draco to Malfoy Manor and on to the train station, Tonks and Remus would stay with Hermione and keep her company until Narcissa returned home.

"Are you ready? Narcissa asked her son.

"I guess so." Draco placed his trunk and bag on the floor as he turned to Hermione, not bothering that they had an audience. "I'm going to miss you so much."

"I'm going to miss you too," Hermione replied with a sad smile. "I love you, Draco."

"I love you too," Draco replied, pulling his girlfriend into his arms for another lingering kiss.

"I hate to break things up but we need to be going," Narcissa said gently. She could see how hard it was for both Draco and Hermione to be separated, but if they didn't leave soon they would be late arriving at the Manor and Lucius might start asking questions.

Draco nodded reluctantly as he picked up his trunk and bag. Saying goodbye to his girlfriend one final time, he turned to the fire and flooed to the manor behind his mother. As usual Draco and Narcissa exited the fire in an upstairs room that no visitors ever entered. Lucius had set up the room as an arrival point from Narcissa's home so no-one ever accidentally saw either her or Draco arriving. This way if there was an unexpected visitor to the manor, it would merely look as though Narcissa and Draco were coming from upstairs.

"Are you ready?" Narcissa asked her son.

Draco took a deep breath and buried all his worries about leaving Hermione deep inside him. Within a few minutes he'd adapted the cold façade that most people associated with the Malfoy family. Now no-one, not even Lucius, would be able to tell that Draco was wishing he was elsewhere.

"Let's go," Draco said to his mother.

Smiling proudly at her son, Narcissa led the way from the room and along the corridor until they reached the ornate stairway that led downstairs. Together Narcissa and Draco descended the stairs, and as usual Lucius was standing waiting for them in the front hallway.

"Narcissa. Draco." Lucius inclined his head towards his wife and son. "I take it you both had an enjoyable summer."

"It was very nice," Narcissa replied.

Turning to Draco, Lucius's cold grey eyes scanned over his son. As usual Draco looked every inch the immaculate Malfoy heir. His white blond hair was styled perfectly, his clothes were all expensive, neatly pressed and fitted his tall frame perfectly. As he looked his son over, Lucius's attention was grabbed by a green and silver pin on his son's robes. As he read the words Head Boy, his face broke out into a smirk.

"Head Boy, I'm very impressed," Lucius told his son.

"Thank you Father," Draco replied in an emotionless voice. He knew his father wasn't genuinely impressed with him, he'd been expecting Draco to get the position of Head Boy and he was letting his son know he was pleased that he hadn't failed. No doubt if there'd been no pin on Draco's uniform, Lucius would have made his displeasure clear.

"We better get going, we don't want the Head Boy missing the train," Lucius announced.

The way the Malfoys apparated to the train station hadn't changed since Draco had first started Hogwarts, so everyone knew exactly what they were doing. Lucius always insisted on being the one to do the actual apparating, so both Narcissa and Draco had to hold onto the older wizard. Once everyone was in place, Lucius whipped out his wand and apparated the family to Platform Nine and Three Quarters.

When they landed, Draco quickly removed his hand from his father's arm, while Lucius put his wand away and wrapped his arm around Narcissa's waist. To anyone watching they looked like the close family everyone thought they were.

"Make sure you concentrate on your work," Lucius told his son. "It's your final year, and I expect good exam results. For once maybe you could even try and beat the Granger girl."

"I'll try my best Father," Draco answered.

"Make sure you do," Lucius warned. "Now I think it's time you boarded the train, you want to make a good impression on whichever Professor is waiting to greet the Head Students."

Draco nodded at his father's instructions as he said goodbye to his mother. Once he'd said a proper goodbye to Narcissa, he turned to Lucius and the pair exchanged a meaningless farewell. Smiling once more at his mother, Draco turned and disappeared onto the train.

Once on the train, Draco quickly looked around for any of his friends. The Slytherins always occupied the compartments at the rear end of the train so it didn't take long to find Blaise Zabini lounging in one of the compartments.

"Hey Draco." Blaise smiled warmly as his friend entered the compartment. "Did you have a good summer?"

"Yeah. Did you?" Draco asked as he threw his bag onto one of the seats and stowed his trunk on the luggage rack overhead.

"I did," Blaise grinned. "I spent most of it in Italy visiting my grandparents. I met loads of fun witches."

"You can tell me about them later," Draco chuckled at his friend. "Right now, I need to go to the Head's Compartment."

"You got Head Boy, congratulations," Blaise said, clapping Draco on the shoulder.

"Thanks. I'll be back in a bit," Draco said as he slipped out of the compartment and made his way down to the other end of the train to where the Head's Compartment was located.

Draco slipped into the compartment to find Snape waiting for him. Snape nodded his head in greeting, but neither wizard spoke until the train had left London.

"Was there any problems with your father?" Snape asked once the train was moving.

"No." Draco shook his head. "Everything was the same as normal."

"Good," Snape said with a sharp nod. "Now here's your list of prefects for the year and the first list of passwords for the common rooms. When the prefects arrive in a few minutes, give them the passwords and just tell them the usual about patrolling the train and leading the first years back to the common rooms after the feast."

"And what do I say if they ask where the missing Head Girl is?" Draco questioned.

"Tell them you have no idea what's going on," Snape answered. "You don't even know who the Head Girl is."

"It doesn't take a genius to guess who that would be," Draco chuckled.

"Even so, you say nothing," Snape warned the blond boy. "If anyone asks, say you were told to handle things by yourself on the train."

Draco nodded in understanding as his head of house rose from his seat and exited the Head's Compartment. No doubt Snape would then apparate off the train so no students could go poking around in the Professors compartment looking for answers regarding the absent Head Girl.

* * *

 **::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::**

* * *

"I swear, she's not on the train," Harry frowned as he returned to the compartment he was sharing with Ron and Ginny.

"She has to be," Ron protested.

The trio were looking for Hermione, since they hadn't seen her on the platform before the train departed from London. They'd assumed they would find her on the train, but two searches of the train had proved fruitless. From what they could gather, Hermione was nowhere to be found.

"Have we checked every compartment?" Ginny asked.

"I checked every one that I passed," Harry said as Ron also confirmed he'd poked his head into every compartment. "I even checked the boy's toilets."

"I checked the girl's bathroom," Ginny said. "The only place left to try is the Professors Compartment and the Head's Compartment."

"Of course, how could we have been so thick?" Harry declared, slapping the palm of his hand on his forehead. "It's seventh year, Hermione will be Head Girl."

"I bet she's already tucked up in the Head's Compartment doing her duties," Ron sighed in relief.

"We can find out when you go to the prefect meeting," Ginny told her brother.

"Shit, the prefect meeting," Ron looked at his watch and let out a loud groan. "I'm ten minutes late, I better go."

Bolting from the compartment, Ron sprinted down the train and yanked open the door to the Head's Compartment. All the prefects turned to look at Ron as he slunk into the compartment, but Ron's attention was on the platinum blond Slytherin who was glaring at him.

"You're off to a great start Weasley," Draco sneered. "The meeting is practically over."

"Sorry, I forgot the time," Ron muttered.

"And you're the best Gryffindor has to offer." Draco shook his head in dismay, before returning his focus to giving the last of the orders to the prefects.

Ron only half listened to Malfoy's orders as he gazed at the empty seat beside the blond Slytherin. He knew from previous years that the Head Girl should be in the meeting with the Head Boy, but it looked as if Malfoy was in sole charge. Ron was still puzzling over the Head Girl's absence when the prefects were dismissed.

"Did you not hear me Weasley?" Draco questioned as the redhead failed to leave the compartment. "I said you could go and do your duties. If you even know what they are."

"Have you seen Hermione?" Ron asked through gritted teeth, he hated having to ask the Slytherin for help, but he'd fully expected to find Hermione in the Head's Compartment.

"No," Draco answered as he stood up. "Now if that's all, I want to get going."

"But isn't she Head Girl?" Ron questioned as Draco herded him out of the Head's Compartment and locked it behind him.

"I have no idea," Draco shrugged. "I was told to handle things myself on the train and Dumbledore would speak to me when I got to school."

Before Ron had a chance to ask anything else, the blond turned on his heel and strode off along the train. Deciding not to bother going after the Head Boy since he would be no help, Ron tried knocking on the Professors compartment that was situated next to the Head's Compartment. However he got no response from the compartment and when he tried the door it was locked.

As he made his way back to where Harry and Ginny were waiting for him, Ron once again checked the compartments he passed and he asked everyone if they'd seen Hermione. By the time he reached his compartment, Ron was convinced his friend wasn't on the train. Not only couldn't they find her, but no-one had seen her that day, either on the train or back in London.

"Well, was she there?" Harry demanded when Ron returned to the compartment alone.

"No." Ron shook his head as he sat down opposite Harry. "Malfoy's the Head Boy and he was conducting the meeting on his own. Apparently he hasn't seen Hermione, and all he was told was to conduct the meeting by himself on the train and that Professor Dumbledore would speak to him when we get to Hogwarts."

"What the hell is going on?" Harry frowned. "Where is Hermione?"

The question of where Hermione was continued to bug Harry, Ron and Ginny for the rest of the journey. However, there was no-one around to ask so they had to settle for running various scenarios past each other. With Voldemort knocking around the trio were worried about Hermione's safety, but they did think that if something bad had happened to their best friend that they would already know. The fact that Dumbledore had let them travel up to school without knowing what was going on reassured them that Hermione was safe, wherever she happened to be.

When the train pulled into Hogsmeade station the trio of Gryffindors were among the first off the train. Quickly they made a dash for the carriages and climbed into one of the first ones that took off up to the school. The journey passed in tense silence and when they alighted from the carriage they found Professor Dumbledore hovering in the front hallway of the school.

"You three better come with me," Dumbledore said before Harry even had a chance to speak.

Instead of leading the trio up to his office as they'd expected, Dumbledore merely led them into the nearest classroom and shut the door behind them.

"Is Hermione okay?" Harry demanded. "She wasn't on the train."

"Miss Granger is fine," Dumbledore reassured the concerned group. "However, she will be slightly late back at school this term. I got a letter from her parents a few days ago to inform me that she had contracted a muggle disease called Chicken Pox."

"Chicken Pox, is that like Dragon Pox?" Ron gasped. He didn't like the idea that his friend had a variation of a potentially deadly disease.

"It's not as deadly as Dragon Pox," Dumbledore told a worried Ron. "It's pretty harmless, but it's infectious."

"It spreads really quickly between people who haven't had it before," Harry supplied. "I had it when I was younger after Dudley caught it at a friend's birthday party."

"What exactly is it?" Ginny questioned.

"It's a muggle disease that manifests itself as really itchy spots," Dumbledore answered. "With it being a muggle disease it means the majority of the school haven't had the disease, but even those that have had it can catch it again. I don't want to risk an outbreak of a muggle disease in a wizarding school, especially as a lot of the parents wouldn't like it. So it's been decided that until she is completely free of the disease that Miss Granger will remain at home. Hopefully she should be back with us by the end of the month."

"Can we write to her?" Harry asked.

"Of course you can," Dumbledore answered. "Now if you'll excuse me, I need to catch the Head Boy and have a word with him. Until Miss Granger is back, I'm afraid Mr Malfoy will have to manage on his own."

The group all left the classroom together and entered the Great Hall. Once Dumbledore established that he hadn't missed the Head Boy, he returned to the entrance hall to wait for Draco while the Gryffindors settled at the table. While they waited for things to get started and the feast to begin, Harry explained a bit more about chicken pox to his friends.

After the first years sorting, Dumbledore stood up to deliver his start of year speech. During the speech he addressed the fact that Hermione was ill and would be returning to school in the near future. He also made it clear that in her absence there would be no replacement Head Girl and that the Head Boy would be in sole charge of the prefects and any other Head Duties.


	5. Chapter 5

When the alarm on his wand sounded for the second time in as many minutes, Draco reluctantly dragged himself out of bed. With each passing day he was finding it harder and harder to carry on as though his life was normal, and he didn't have a huge secret that he was keeping from everyone. Draco had been back at school for almost two weeks and he was getting anxious about Hermione. She was due to give birth the following week and there was nothing he wanted more than to be at her side. Every day Draco was becoming increasingly nervous about his impending fatherhood, so he could only imagine how stressed his girlfriend would be.

Since it was Friday and he'd been back at school nearly two whole weeks without seeing Hermione in person, Draco was hoping he could persuade Dumbledore to let him visit her briefly over the weekend. Dumbledore had been kind enough to allow Draco to speak to Hermione via the floo network a couple of times, but he'd been reluctant to allow the Head Boy to leave Hogwarts before the baby was born.

As he showered and dressed, Draco formulated what he was going to say to Dumbledore in his head. The old man had been surprisingly supportive and Draco was confident he could play on the headmaster's sympathies to grab a few hours with his girlfriend. However he didn't want to push his luck with Dumbledore considering how much help the headmaster had given him and Hermione. Without Dumbledore's help the pair probably would have resorted to running away, and Draco didn't honestly think that would work very well. Lucius would have undoubtedly tracked them down and Draco shuddered to think what his father and Voldemort would do if they ever discovered he'd fathered a child with a muggleborn witch.

Brushing aside his dark thoughts, Draco grabbed his bag and headed down to the common room. The common room was a decent size and housed two large sofas, a table for studying and most importantly a fire that Dumbledore had connected to his mother's house. So far Draco had only used the floo network to speak to Hermione, but the headmaster had promised that once Hermione had the baby they would arrange it so they could travel back and forth between Hogwarts and Narcissa's house.

Throwing his bag onto one of the sofas, Draco headed through to the small kitchen alcove to grab some breakfast. Usually Draco went down to the Great Hall for his meals, but more often than not he ate breakfast in the Head Dorms. Draco had already started eating breakfast up in his rooms so that when Hermione returned his friends wouldn't think it was odd he suddenly wasn't turning up at breakfast. Draco had also set it up so that his friends knew not to visit the Head Dorms uninvited, if he wanted to see them he would go down to the dungeons. Again it was so when Hermione returned his friends wouldn't just show up and hear or see something they shouldn't. Luckily his friends all knew how much pressure Lucius put on him to be the best, so it was believable when Draco had told them that he would be concentrating on his school work and his duties as Head Boy this year.

Finishing his breakfast, Draco dropped his bowl and glass into the sink before grabbing his bag and exiting the Head Dorms. Draco's first lesson of the day was double Potions so he made his way down to the dungeons. Potions was a small class as Snape had very high standards for his N.E.W.T.S students and only a handful of people had made it into Potions in sixth year and had carried on into seventh. Draco, Blaise and Theo made up the Slytherin trio that took potions, and they were joined by two Hufflepuffs and four Ravenclaws. Normally Hermione was the only Gryffindor in the Potions class, but with her absence it meant the lesson was free of Gryffindors.

Unfortunately for Draco, Potions was the only class of the day where he was free from Gryffindors. Directly after Potions was Herbology with the Gryffindors and after lunch it was Charms with them. However the worst lesson of the day was the last one, Transfiguration. Draco actually liked the subject itself, it just happened that his desk was situated directly in front of Potter and Weasley and he usually spent the entire lesson trying to drown out their annoying chattering.

As usual Draco was in his seat before the pair arrived, and as always they were chattering on like a couple of old women. Half the time their chattering revolved around quidditch, although not team tactics much to Draco's disappointment, and girls. However as they entered the room and took their seats behind him, Draco heard they were talking about something different for once. They were still talking about a girl, only this time they were talking about Hermione.

"I just wish she was back," Ron sighed. "I miss her."

"So do I," Harry replied. "I just hope she's alright."

"Why wouldn't she be?" Ron asked and Draco could hear the concern in his voice.

"It just seems to be taking a long time for her to be well enough to return to school," Harry replied. "I didn't think Chicken Pox lasted this long."

Draco made a mental note to inform Dumbledore of Harry's worries. The last thing they wanted was for anyone to get suspicious of their cover story and find out they'd been lying. Hopefully if Dumbledore knew of Harry's worries he could find some sort of explanation as to why it was taking Hermione such a long time to be well enough to return to school.

As the lesson got underway, Draco listened as Hermione's friends continued to complain about her absence. However their concern was now more frustration as they tried to cope with lessons without their best friend's brains to get them through lessons. Even after a couple of weeks, Draco could see how much the pair were suffering without Hermione and he wondered if they would even pass their exams if she failed to return to school. Even if she did return, she wouldn't have the same sort of time to help them so he suspected they would be struggling either way.

Halfway through the lesson, Draco had tuned the Gryffindors out and was busy concentrating on his work. He was so busy concentrating on his work that he initially failed to hear the door open and someone enter the classroom. It was only when he felt a hand on his shoulder that he looked up and found Professor Dumbledore standing beside his desk.

"Mr Malfoy, gather your things and come with me," Dumbledore said.

Draco immediately knew Hermione was in labour so he shoved everything into his bag as quickly as he could, not bothering if he was ruining anything in the process. As he was hastily packing his bag he could hear every word of the loudly whispered conversation Harry and Ron were having.

"Do you think Malfoy's in trouble?" Ron whispered eagerly.

"Probably," Harry replied. "I don't know why Dumbledore gave him the position as Head Boy, it was asking for trouble."

"Maybe he'll lose the position and someone else will have to step in," Ron said. "I wonder if I stand a chance of replacing him."

Draco rolled his eyes at the pair's blatant gossiping as he shoved the last of his books in his bag and threw it over his shoulder. Not concerned by the fact everyone was watching him and gossiping about what was going on, Draco quickly followed Dumbledore from the classroom.

"It's time, isn't it?" He asked, even though he already knew the answer.

"It is," Dumbledore confirmed. "Madam Pomfrey has already gone on ahead."

"How are you going to explain dragging me out of class?" Draco asked as the pair made their way to Dumbledore's office.

"As far as anyone is concerned, you're spending the weekend doing head duties," Dumbledore replied. "We would have said your mother has had an accident and you're visiting her, but that's too risky in case words gets back to your father. Depending on how things go this afternoon, you might be able to pop back at dinner time and reassure everyone you're not in trouble."

"I'm not leaving Hermione if she needs me or wants me to stay," Draco warned the headmaster as they entered his office. "I'll pop back for half an hour or so if everything is alright, but I'm not leaving her in the middle of having the baby."

"I wouldn't expect you to," Dumbledore said. "As I said, we'll see how things go."

Leading the way to the fireplace over the far side of the room, Dumbledore quickly activated the floo network and handed Draco the pot which contained his floo powder. Grabbing a handful of powder, Draco stepped into the fire and disappeared home in a whirl of emerald green flames.

When Draco emerged from the fire he didn't hang about to see if Dumbledore was following him. Instead he turned and sprinted out of the room and ran up the stairs at top speed. When he entered the corridor that ran the entire length of the top floor, Draco spotted Remus pacing the floor outside his room. Quickly he made his way over to the older wizard, and checked everything was okay.

"Everything seems to be in hand," Remus reassured the blond boy. "Madam Pomfrey has everything under control and Tonks and your mother are with Hermione."

"I want to see her," Draco said.

"Of course, she's been asking for you," Remus replied. "You go on in, we'll wait out here."

As he turned to enter his bedroom, Draco spotted Dumbledore making his way down the corridor. He'd fully expected the headmaster to be coming with him, but he hoped the old man understood why he'd ran on ahead. However he would have to check on that later, right now Hermione needed him and he was going to be there for her just like he'd promised.

When Draco entered the bedroom he took a moment to take in the scene before him. Hermione was lying on the bed, clutching at Narcissa's hand as she screamed loudly. Narcissa was doing her best to reassure a clearly terrified Hermione as Madam Pomfrey calmly went about her business at the base of the bed. Tonks was following instructions Madam Pomfrey was giving her as well as shooting Hermione reassuring smiles.

"Where is he?" Hermione cried, not having noticed her boyfriend enter the room. "I want Draco here now."

"I'm here, baby," Draco said, slowly making his way to the bed.

"I can't do this," Hermione told her boyfriend as Narcissa let go of her hand and let Draco settle himself beside Hermione.

"Yes, you can," Draco reassured his girlfriend as he took hold of her hand and dropped a kiss to the top of her head. "We're going to do this together, Hermione. We're going to do what Madam Pomfrey says and soon we'll meet our baby."

From the bottom of the bed, Madam Pomfrey nodded approvingly as Draco worked on calming Hermione down. Hermione had been in a state since Madam Pomfrey arrived and so far no-one had managed to calm her down, so she was relieved that Draco seemed to be getting through to Hermione. The medi-witch hadn't been sure it would be a good idea to allow Draco into the room for the birth as she'd expected that the experience would have him a bag of nerves, but he was surprisingly mature and if he was nervous he was hiding it well.

"Okay Hermione, it's nearly time for you to push," Madam Pomfrey announced.

Hermione looked at Draco in panic, but her boyfriend just held onto her tighter and reassured her she could do it. On Madam Pomfrey's direction, Hermione held onto Draco even harder as she cried out in agony as she pushed.

"Good girl." Madam Pomfrey patted Hermione's leg reassuringly as the young witch collapsed against the pillows exhausted by her efforts. "Just a couple more and we'll be done."

Despite her exhaustion, Hermione managed to deliver the baby without incident. Draco held her hand the entire time and constantly encouraged her as she finished giving birth. Draco didn't even flinch when Hermione held onto him so hard that her nails drew blood from his hand, instead he focused his efforts on his girlfriend. Seconds after Hermione had delivered the baby, a loud cry echoed around the room and Madam Pomfrey wrapped a tiny bundle in some blankets.

"Is the baby okay?" Hermione questioned, craning her neck to see her baby despite being so exhausted.

"She's perfect," Narcissa replied with a smile as she looked down at her granddaughter lying on the bed.

"I just want to check her over, but she seems perfectly healthy," Madam Pomfrey reassured the young couple.

After almost five minutes, Madam Pomfrey handed Hermione a tiny baby, wrapped in a cream blanket. Hermione looked down at her daughter and she felt the tears welling up in her eyes. Glancing up at Draco she could see he was just as affected as he gazed down at his daughter.

"She's amazing," Draco whispered, gently running his finger down the side of the baby's face.

"I can't believe we've got a daughter," Hermione replied, leaning her head against Draco.

For several minutes the young couple were left alone to bond with their new-born daughter. Tonks poked her head out of the room to inform Remus and Dumbledore that the baby was a girl, while Madam Pomfrey and Narcissa started to tidy the room.

"I think we need to clean up properly," Madam Pomfrey said after a short while. "Both Hermione and the baby need a few final checks."

"Actually, I should head back to school for a short while," Draco said, glancing at the clock and seeing it was nearly dinner time. He really didn't want to leave Hermione and his daughter, but he knew they needed to make sure no-one got suspicious about his absence from Hogwarts.

"You will be back, won't you?" Hermione asked.

"Just try and keep me away," Draco said with a grin. Leaning over he gently gave Hermione a kiss, before brushing his lips over the top of the baby's head. "I'll be back within the hour."

Tearing himself away from Hermione and the baby, Draco exited the bedroom to find Dumbledore waiting for him. After receiving congratulations from both Remus and the headmaster, Draco and Dumbledore set off back to Hogwarts.

"After you return to the Head Dorms you can floo back home," Dumbledore explained before they left the privacy of his office. "You may stay at home all weekend, but I want you back for lessons on Monday. If I need you before then, I'll send for you but hopefully you should have the whole weekend to spend with Hermione and the baby."

"Thank you Sir." Draco smiled at the headmaster. Despite never quite liking Dumbledore before now, he was incredibly grateful for everything the headmaster was doing for him and Hermione.

When he headed down to dinner, Draco had to work hard to hide the excitement and amazement he felt at becoming a father. Despite being prepared for the event for so many months, seeing his daughter for the first time had hit him harder than he'd expected. He'd never expected to feel such a strong wave of pure love for the tiny baby, nor did he expect to feel so protective of her so quickly. Within minutes his little girl had quickly found a place in his heart and along with Hermione and Narcissa, she meant the world to him already.

When he entered the Great Hall, Draco smirked as he spotted the disappointment on the faces of Hermione's friends when they saw he was still wearing his Head Boy badge. Settling down at the Slytherin table, he instantly dismissed their worries about him being in trouble. The excuse of head duties went down fine with his friends and they didn't bat an eyelid when he mentioned that he wouldn't be around much over the weekend.

Finally dinner was over and Draco raced back to the Head Dorms. Before leaving he took a few minutes to change, but the instant he was ready he flooed home. When he arrived home he found Tonks and Remus sitting in the front room, and they informed him that Narcissa was upstairs with Hermione and the baby.

When Draco entered the bedroom, he found a very different scene to the one a few hours ago. The bed had been freshly made and Hermione was sitting on the bed in a pair of clean pyjamas. Narcissa was sitting on a chair beside the bed and the crib from the nursery had been moved into the room and was now standing on the far side of the bed. However, Draco's attention was immediately grabbed by the baby in Hermione's arms. His daughter was no longer just wrapped in a blanket, she was now wearing a Babygro and looked freshly washed.

"I'll leave you three alone," Narcissa said as she stood up when Draco entered the room. "Just call if you need any help."

"We will. Thank you Narcissa." Hermione smiled gratefully at her boyfriend's mother as she left the room.

Settling down on the bed beside Hermione, Draco wrapped his arm around his girlfriend. "I love you, Hermione."

"I love you too." Hermione smiled up at Draco, happy to have him by her side again. "Do you want to hold your daughter?"

"Of course," Draco replied.

Hermione gently transferred the sleeping baby into Draco's arms, and she watched as Draco's grey eyes filled up as he held his daughter for the first time.

"She's so tiny," Draco whispered. "And beautiful, she looks just like you."

"I don't think she looks like either of us, I think she has her own look," Hermione said. "And we can't keep calling her, she. We have to decide on a name."

"What do you think?" Draco asked, looking down at his daughter. "Is she a Lyra or a Cassiopeia?"

"Personally I think she's more of a Lyra, but we can go with Cassie if you want," Hermione told her boyfriend.

"No, Lyra's perfect," Draco said with a smile.

"Lyra it is then," Hermione said, snuggling into her boyfriend as they watched their daughter sleeping peacefully in her father's arms.


	6. Chapter 6

In the cheerful nursery belonging to her daughter, Hermione sat in a rocking chair beside the window. In her arms, almost asleep, was a two week old Lyra. The last two weeks had passed in a blur, and now Hermione had to make a choice about returning to Hogwarts or staying at home with her daughter. She'd already missed the first month of school and everyone knew that despite her brains if she missed much more she wouldn't be able to catch up without seriously pushing herself.

Looking down at her daughter, Hermione was torn about what to do. She didn't want to give up her education and go into hiding. She wanted to get her exam results and help the Order defeat Voldemort so her daughter could grow up in a safe world. However, she dreaded the thought of being separated from Lyra. In the last two weeks she'd seen how hard Draco found it only seeing his daughter occasionally, and it would be much worse for her since she'd been with Lyra constantly since her birth.

The previous afternoon, Dumbledore had visited and spoken to Hermione. While the headmaster had been supportive and hadn't wanted to push her into making a decision, he'd made it clear that time was running out. If Hermione was going to return to school she needed to do it fast, not only for her sake but also for the sake of the school and Draco. As it was he was managing his head duties with a lot of help from Snape and McGonagall, but if Hermione wasn't going back to Hogwarts they would need to appoint a Head Girl. That of course would impact on how often Draco could come and see Hermione and the baby as he would no longer have the privacy of the Head Dorms if he was sharing with a different Head Girl.

"What do I do, angel?" Hermione sighed softly as she watched her daughter's eyes flutter shut and remain that way.

Satisfied Lyra was definitely asleep, Hermione carefully got up from the chair and gently settled her daughter into her cot. Instead of leaving immediately, Hermione stayed with her daughter, hoping to get the answers she wanted. When no answers were forthcoming from Lyra, Hermione turned round and jumped when she found Narcissa standing in the doorway.

"How long have you been there?" Hermione asked.

"Long enough," Narcissa answered with a gentle smile. "I know you're still undecided about returning to school. Do you want to talk about it?"

Hermione nodded in response as she turned on Lyra's baby monitor and picked up the second half. Leaving the nursery door half open, Hermione followed Narcissa down stairs where the two witches settled down in the front room. While Narcissa organised tea, Hermione checked the baby monitor was working fine before she relaxed on the large comfortable sofa.

"So, returning to school," Narcissa said once the tea had arrived and they were left alone to talk. "You're no nearer to making a decision, I see."

"I keep thinking I should return to Hogwarts, but then I look at Lyra and every argument I've made for leaving goes out of my head," Hermione admitted. "Logically going back to school is the right move, but emotionally I don't think I'm ready to leave Lyra."

"I don't mean to sound harsh Hermione, but it's not going to get any easier. If anything it's going to get harder the longer you stay at home with Lyra," Narcissa told the young witch. "I know it seems too soon to be leaving Lyra, but if it's going to happen it's going to have to happen soon."

"I know," Hermione sighed. "What do you think I should do?"

"It's really not my place to say," Narcissa said hesitantly. She knew exactly what she thought Hermione should do, but the last thing she wanted was for her son's girlfriend to think she was bossing her around.

"Please Narcissa, I need your help," Hermione pleaded.

Narcissa looked at Hermione and nodded once before she offered her opinion. "I think you should go back to school. I know it will be so hard to make the initial break, and I doubt it'll get any easier as the year wears on, but you need to think about the future. Whatever decision you make now, will impact your future life."

"You mean Voldemort?" Hermione asked.

"No, I mean after he's gone," Narcissa clarified. "I believe Dumbledore and the Order will defeat The Dark Lord, and I know you do as well. Once he's gone, you'll have a life to lead with Draco and Lyra. I may be wrong, but I don't think you're the stay at home mother type."

"I'm not," Hermione answered. "Not that there's anything wrong with that," she added, remembering that was exactly what Narcissa was.

"I know you're nothing like me, dear," Narcissa chuckled and smiled at Hermione to let the young witch know she hadn't offended her. "I was raised to believe I was destined to marry a respectable pureblood wizard and my duty was to be a devoted wife and mother. I never harboured any ambitions of a career because I knew it would never happen for me. But you're not me Hermione, you've grown up imagining having a great career. Being a mother shouldn't stop that, but it might if you don't go back to school."

"Without qualifications I would struggle to find a job," Hermione conceded. She knew she was bright enough to do most things, and while she may be able to set up her own business, not getting her final exam results could hurt her future prospects.

"Of course I don't want to push you," Narcissa said. "You might be quite content to stay at home with Lyra. But don't forget, she'll not be a baby forever. I don't know what your plans will be about her early education, but at eleven she'll be off to Hogwarts and unless you have more children, you'll be left alone with no-one to look after. I know from experience that it's not easy to adjust to such a big change. I was lost when Draco first went off to school."

Hermione thought about Narcissa's advice and mulled over her choices. If she did choose to stay with Lyra, she was limiting her career options when she did choose to begin work. And if she waited all the way until her daughter started school she would find it practically impossible to get any job other than a menial one.

"Not that you have to work of course," Narcissa said. "Draco already has a sizeable inheritance, and depending what happens with Lucius he could be in line to inherit a fair bit more. Whatever happens, money won't be an issue for the pair of you."

"I don't want to live off Draco," Hermione said firmly. "I want to help provide for our daughter. I want to help rid the world of Voldemort and his supporters, so my daughter can be safe. I then want to have a normal life with Draco and Lyra, and that involves having a job I'm passionate about."

"Am I to take it you've made a decision?" Narcissa checked.

"I have," Hermione confirmed with a firm nod. "I'm going back to school. If we speak to Dumbledore tomorrow, I can be back on Monday morning."

"He's already promised the floo in the Head Dorms will be open from morning until night," Narcissa said. "You'll be able to come back to see Lyra whenever you want. You could come on a morning and check on her, and you could then come back after lessons and be here for her nightly feed and to put her to bed. It'll be just like you're a working mother, leaving your child during the day, only you'll not have to deal with the sleepless nights on top of everything."

"That sounds good," Hermione said. "I'm sure we could work out a proper schedule. That might make things easier."

"It might," Narcissa agreed. "You know we'll do anything to make things as easy as possible for you and Draco."

"I know, and we really appreciate everything you and everyone else has done for us," Hermione said. "Without your help I don't think we could have coped."

"We've all been happy to help." Narcissa smiled at the young witch as she reached out and squeezed Hermione's hand. "Now why don't I floo Dumbledore and we'll see about getting your return to Hogwarts sorted."

"Tonight?" Hermione questioned. "Shouldn't we give him some peace, it is Saturday evening."

"I'm sure he'll be more than happy to come and see us," Narcissa said as she stood up and made her way over to the fire.

Sure enough Narcissa was right and a brief floo conversation had Dumbledore rushing over to visit with Draco in tow. Narcissa sent for more tea while Dumbledore arranged for Remus, Tonks, McGonagall and Snape to all be involved in the meeting. Once everyone was present a discussion got underway about Hermione's return to school and how things would be handled once she was back at Hogwarts.

* * *

 **::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::**

* * *

After a long discussion a decision was made for Hermione to return to school on Sunday evening. That way she could spend some time with her friends before having to face her first lessons. It had also been decided that she and Draco would stick to a routine to visit Lyra. The couple would visit on a morning, before returning after lessons to see their daughter before she settled down for the night. Apart from that the only other times they would visit would be in the case of an emergency.

On the Sunday afternoon, Draco flooed home from school and he and Hermione spent the entire afternoon with their baby daughter. When it was time to leave, a tearful Hermione said goodbye to her daughter before heading off to Hogwarts with Draco. Dumbledore had already arranged for her luggage to go on ahead, so Hermione was free to travel without the burden of her trunk.

"Are you okay?" Draco checked with his girlfriend when they arrived in the Head Dorms.

"I will be," Hermione sniffed as she swiped at the tears falling from her eyes. "I'm just going to miss Lyra so much."

"I know the feeling," Draco said, wrapping his arm around Hermione's shoulders. "I've spent weeks missing you and Lyra. But hopefully it'll be easier now we're together."

Hermione nodded, hoping her boyfriend was right and that together they could cope with missing their daughter. Although they would at least be able to see her every day and Hermione had packed a whole pile of pictures of her daughter in her trunk.

"Come on, show me the Head Dorms before dinner," Hermione said, deciding to focus on something other than Lyra before she turned around and changed her mind about returning to school.

Draco quickly showed Hermione around the common room and small kitchen area, before he led her upstairs. There were two bedrooms upstairs, one decorated in Slytherin colours clearly meant for Draco while the other room was decorated in Gryffindor red and gold for Hermione. There was also a large shared bathroom, which attached to both bedrooms as well as having a separate entrance from the hallway.

"It looks like Dumbledore expects us to sleep in separate rooms," Hermione remarked, looking at her trunk sitting at the bottom of the unused bed in her room and her bag that was lying on top of the red covers.

"I'm sure he's just keeping up pretences," Draco replied. "Considering we have a child together, I think he knows we'll be sharing a room. Unless of course you want to sleep separately."

"I don't want to sleep separately," Hermione insisted. In fact she was really looking forward to curling up and falling asleep in Draco's arms, something which she'd missed doing since her boyfriend had returned to school.

After finishing the tour of the Head Dorms, Hermione and Draco headed back to the common room where Draco filled his girlfriend in on what she'd missed over the past month. They also spoke about head duties and what was expected of them as Head Boy and Girl. The couple remained curled up on the sofa talking until it was dinner time.

"Do you want to walk down to the Great Hall together?" Draco asked.

"I don't think that's the best idea," Hermione replied. "We don't want people questioning why we're suddenly so friendly, especially since I've only just returned."

"I'll go first then," Draco said. "Will you be able to find your way back to the Head Dorms after dinner?"

"We're on the third floor, aren't we?" Hermione questioned, remembering what Draco had told her earlier. "It should be fine. Although I'm guessing directly after dinner I'll be going up to Gryffindor Tower with my friends. I've missed them and I'm dying to catch up with them."

"Okay, the password is unity," Draco told his girlfriend, giving her a kiss before he exited the common room to head down for dinner.

Before leaving the common room, Hermione took a few minutes to make sure she looked okay and her recent pregnancy wasn't too obvious. As had been the case when she was pregnant the style of her clothes hid the extra weight she was still carrying, so she was confident no-one would notice anything different about her.

The second Hermione entered the Great Hall, she was the focus of almost everyone's attention. A lot of the students stopped to stare at the newly returned Head Girl, while some just settled for whispering about her. However, Hermione's attention was firmly on her beaming friends.

"Hermione, you're back," Harry declared, pulling his friend into a bone crushing hug when she reached the Gryffindor table.

Once Harry had let her go, Hermione found herself embraced by Ron and then Ginny. Several of her other friends also said hello and said how pleased they were to see her back, but they refrained from public displays of affection.

"When did you get back?" Ron asked as he scooted down the table to make room for Hermione.

"Not long ago," Hermione replied. "I was just settling into the Head Dorms before dinner."

"It's nice to see you looking so well, we were getting worried about you," Harry admitted. "I didn't know Chicken Pox lasted well over a month."

"I didn't actually find out I had Chicken Pox until the day before we were due to return to school," Hermione said. She didn't feel comfortable with lying, but knew it was the only safe option. "Obviously Dumbledore was really worried about me infecting the school, so we were extra vigilant before deciding it was safe for me to return."

"It is safe, isn't it?" Ron checked, looking at Hermione to see if he could see any remaining spots. From what Harry had told him about the disease he really didn't want to catch it.

"It's perfectly safe," Hermione reassured her friend. "I'm completely healthy and illness free."

"That's great," Ginny smiled. "And at least now things can return to normal and we can stop worrying about you."

"I did say in my letters that I was fine," Hermione said.

"We know, but it's just reassuring to speak to you in person," Harry said. "Anyway, enough about your illness, now you're back you can tell us about your holidays."

Hermione was easily able to concoct a few stories about her summer based on her past holidays, but luckily she was able to quickly turn the subject around to what her friends had been up to. Harry and Ron both told her about joining the Order, although they wouldn't talk about what they'd been up to in such a public place.

"Maybe after dinner we can come and see the Head Dorms," Ron suggested.

"That's not a good idea," Hermione said with a shake of her head. "Malfoy and I decided on a few rules before dinner and one of them was no friends in the Head Dorms."

"Whose idea was that? Malfoy's, I bet," Harry grumbled, glaring across the room to where the blond Head Boy was sitting laughing with his friends.

"I bet his friends will be up there all the time," Ron complained bitterly. "He just doesn't want us around."

"We agreed no friends at all," Hermione said. "We're both going to be busy with head duties, not to mention our exams are this year. We both agreed that the Head Dorms should be a place where we can both get some peace and quiet and are able to study. I can come and see you lot in Gryffindor Tower whenever I want, and Malfoy can go down to the dungeons to see his friends."

"You make sure he sticks to his side of the bargain," Harry told his friend. "Don't let him bring his friends into the Head Dorms, when we're not allowed in."

"Don't worry, I'll make sure things are fair," Hermione reassured Harry. "Now since the Head Dorms are out of bounds, how about I return to Gryffindor Tower with you after dinner?"

"That sounds like a plan," Ginny said.

After dinner, Hermione headed back to Gryffindor Tower with her friends. For nearly an hour they remained in the common room with their other friends, catching up and enjoying the last few hours of their weekend. After Hermione had spoken with all her friends and had a good catch up with everyone, Harry and Ron took her up to the boy's dorms so they could speak in private.

For the next hour Harry and Ron filled Hermione in on what they'd been doing with the Order. Once they'd been fully initiated into the Order, Dumbledore had explained to them that Voldemort was using dark magic called Horcruxes to ensure he was indestructible. However, Dumbledore was hot on the heels of several of the Horcruxes and Harry and Ron had helped him destroy a locket over the holidays. Currently Dumbledore was working on locating the next Horcrux, and Harry and Ron were hoping to be involved in its destruction when he located it.

After a couple of hours in Gryffindor Tower, Hermione started to tire. A fortnight of getting up several times in the middle of the night to see to Lyra had left her tired and eager for her bed. While she may have been missing her daughter like crazy, she had to admit she was looking forward to having an uninterrupted night's sleep.

"I'll see you tomorrow," Hermione said to Harry and Ron as she said goodnight.

"See you tomorrow Hermione," Harry smiled. "It's good to have you back."

"Yeah, it's great," Ron agreed as he said goodnight to his friend.

Giving Harry and Ron a final hug, Hermione left Gryffindor Tower and made her way back to the Head Dorms on the third floor. When she entered the common room there was no sign of Draco, but she could hear the shower upstairs. Trudging up the stairs, Hermione entered Draco's room just as he boyfriend was emerging from the bathroom.

"How was your night?" Draco asked as he pulled a pair of pyjama bottoms from his drawer.

"Good," Hermione replied with a small smile. "I've really missed my friends, it was great to see them again. However, I'm now completely knackered and all I want to do is curl up and sleep."

Heading into the bathroom, Hermione quickly washed and brushed her teeth before returning to Draco's room and sliding into his shirt. The couple then crawled into bed together, and within minutes Hermione was fast asleep in her boyfriend's secure embrace.


	7. Chapter 7

Leaving Lyra to return to school proved much harder than Hermione had anticipated. A routine was quickly established to help both Hermione and Lyra adjust to being separated, but even that was hard on the new mother. Whenever she wasn't with her daughter, Hermione missed her like crazy and several times over the first few weeks she nearly cracked and changed her mind about returning to school.

The routine consisted of Draco and Hermione rising early and going to see Lyra before breakfast. Some mornings one of them would return to eat in the Great Hall, some mornings they would both return and every so often neither went back to Hogwarts for breakfast. However, they were always both back for the first lesson and they didn't leave school again until after the last lesson of the day. Once lessons were over for the day the couple would go and spend a few hours with their daughter before she went to bed for the night. Once Lyra was settled for the night Draco and Hermione would then return to school where they would go for dinner and then they would have the rest of the night to themselves. Occasionally Hermione would go back to check on Lyra after dinner, but that was usually on nights when she missed her daughter too much to do anything productive with her time.

Despite the routine it still took Hermione a while to adjust and there had been a couple of occasions during her first few weeks back when she'd cried herself to sleep in Draco's arms. Draco had been a tower of strength for Hermione as she missed Lyra, and he promised Hermione that if she didn't think she could cope with being back at school that he would fully support her if she choose to go home to their daughter. Hermione was sorely tempted to return home to Lyra, but she kept thinking about the future and how much better it would be if she stayed at school and got her exam results.

Luckily Hermione got to spend her first few weekends back at school with her daughter. Because she missed a month of school for the first two weeks she was back, Hermione was able to tell her friends that she was busy catching up with her work. That meant her friends hadn't bothered her either weekend and her and Draco had been free to go and spend them with Lyra, which had helped Hermione a lot.

After two weekends going to visit Lyra, Draco had informed her that quidditch practice was due to start and on the third weekend she was back, he was due to spend most of the day practising quidditch. When Narcissa had heard Draco was going to be busy with quidditch, she suggested that Hermione spend the Saturday at school and the pair of them could visit on the Sunday. Since she still did need to catch up with her work, Hermione agreed to the idea and she'd spent her entire morning slaving over her books.

After a morning of work, Hermione had a quick bite to eat before deciding some relaxation was in order. Tidying her books away, Hermione headed up to the bathroom and ran herself a warm bath filled with scented bubbles. Sinking into the tub, Hermione sighed in contentment as she settled back to spend a few hours relaxing.

Despite wanting to relax, Hermione still felt tense as she failed to shut her mind off. As always she was thinking about Lyra, barely a moment went by when she wasn't thinking about her little girl and if she was okay. Of course Hermione knew her daughter was being looked after amazingly by Narcissa with some help from Tonks and Remus, but she couldn't help but worry about her. Was it having any sort of adverse effect on her daughter that she only saw her parents a few hours each day? Would Lyra be better off if either she or Draco were with her more often? She knew her and Draco were doing what they thought was best for their daughter, and she knew that even if they weren't with her every second of every day that they loved her more than anything. Lyra was their number one priority, and if either of them felt she needed one of them to be with her more often they would make sure it happened. Hermione knew that if necessary they would both walk away from their schooling and go into hiding if it was what was best for their daughter. However, for the time being things seemed to be running smoothly, even if Hermione did miss Lyra so much it hurt.

Slowly Hermione forced herself to stop worrying about Lyra as she tried to relax. In a bid to relax, she imagined Draco was with her gently rubbing her tired neck and shoulders. With her eyes closed Hermione could almost feel her boyfriend's warm hands on her neck and shoulders, soothing out the kinks and knots. Losing herself in her imagination, Hermione moaned quietly as she thought about Draco massaging her skin. Without even releasing she was doing it, Hermione let her thoughts wander down a racier route. In her imagination, Draco's hands slowly stopped their work on her neck and shoulders and began creeping around her front. When she thought about Draco's hands cupping her breasts and rolling her nipples in his fingers, Hermione's eyes shot open and she let out a gasp.

Sex hadn't been a consideration of Hermione's since giving birth to Lyra, but her little daydream had definitely awakened her slumbering sex drive. All of a sudden the only thing she could think about was Draco, and when he would be back from quidditch practice. Despite not being in the mood for sex since having Lyra, Hermione was definitely ready to get back in the saddle. Luckily when she'd returned to school she'd had a check-up with Madam Pomfrey and the medi-witch had provided her with a contraceptive potion. According to Madam Pomfrey the potion was much more reliable than then contraceptive charm, which apparently could go wrong without warning and probably had gone wrong the previous year which was how Hermione had ended up pregnant in the first place.

As she got out of the bath, Hermione caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror above the sink. Pausing she looked across the room and studied her naked body in the mirror. There was no denying that her body wasn't quite the same as it had been before she'd had Lyra. Considering she was so young, she'd regained her figure fairly easily but Hermione could see subtle differences in her body and she knew she was slightly curvier than she had been before Lyra. Fully clothed the differences weren't at all noticeable, but naked she could see the differences and she knew that Draco would be able to see them as well. She just hoped he still found her attractive and hadn't gone off her now she'd had a baby.

"Don't be silly Hermione, of course he'll still want you," Hermione muttered to herself as she wrapped a towel around herself.

She knew Draco wasn't so shallow that he would lose interest in her because she wasn't the same as she'd been before. The changes had been a result of her having his baby, and knowing Draco that would only make him desire her more. During her pregnancy he'd been extremely affectionate towards her and her changing body hadn't repulsed him in the slightest. Besides, she was well aware that since she returned to school Draco awoke almost every morning in a state of arousal that had partially been caused by sleeping curled up next to her.

Confident that Draco wouldn't reject her and be uninterested in her slightly different body, Hermione headed into her own bedroom to get ready. While she spent every night in Draco's bed, all of Hermione's things were in her own room and she often used the room to have a bit of privacy for studying. Rummaging through her underwear drawer, Hermione found a skimpy set and threw them on the bed. She then found a luxurious body cream and set about making sure she looked her best.

After drying herself, she rubbed a generous portion of her body cream all over her body before she magically dried her hair. She then slipped on the skimpy underwear set and trotted over to Draco's room. In Draco's room she pulled on one of his shirts and fastened a couple of buttons halfway down the shirt to hold it together over her breasts. With the shirt on, all Hermione had to do was settle herself on Draco's bed and wait for her boyfriend to arrive back from his quidditch practice.

Hermione's wait was a short one and less than ten minutes after settling on Draco's bed she heard the door to the common room open. Putting down the book she'd been reading, Hermione sat back to wait for Draco to put in an appearance. Draco's appearance was almost instantaneous as he headed straight upstairs and into his bedroom.

The second Draco entered the room, he stopped in surprise and gawped at Hermione. As he was trying to find something to say, his grey eyes appreciatively ran up and down his girlfriend's body. The fact she was wearing his shirt was something he particularly loved to see her do and Draco couldn't help but smirk at how sexy she looked wearing his clothes.

"Are you ever going to say anything?" Hermione asked as she looked at her boyfriend.

Draco had clearly showered and changed out of his quidditch stuff down in the changing rooms as he was wearing a pair of trousers and a shirt, not his green and silver uniform that Hermione loved to see him in. While a part of her was disappointed that her boyfriend wasn't still in uniform, a bigger part of her was glad that he'd changed and was freshly showered. Getting frisky with a clean, nice smelling Draco was preferable to him being dirty and sweaty.

"I think I'm lost for words," Draco muttered eventually.

"That'll be a first," Hermione laughed. "Why don't you join me and maybe something will come to you?"

Not needing a second invitation, Draco propped his broom up against the wall and pulled off his shoes and socks. He then headed over to the bed and sat down next to his girlfriend.

"You look amazing," He told her, leaning over and brushing a stray curl away from her face. "Very sexy."

"That's the look I was going for," Hermione replied with a smile.

"And what's the occasion?" Draco questioned. "Not that I'm complaining to find my girlfriend half naked on my bed," he added hastily, not wanting Hermione to think he wasn't interested in her. "It's just that we've never talked about sex since Lyra was born. I hope you don't think I'm pushing you into resuming anything."

"How would you be pushing me into anything?" Hermione asked in confusion. "As you said, we haven't spoken about our sex life since I returned to school. You haven't exactly been pressuring me into doing anything."

"I know, but I don't want you thinking I'm getting impatient or anything," Draco replied. "I'm happy to wait until you're ready to take things further."

"That's sort of the whole point of this," Hermione said, gesturing to what she was wearing. "This is my way of telling you I'm ready."

"Are you sure?" Draco asked, trying not to sound too excited. He'd missed being with Hermione, and just the thought of being intimate with her again was making him giddy.

"I'm sure," Hermione smiled. "I was having a bath earlier and all I could think about was you and all the fun things we could be doing together. I'm ready to get things back to normal."

"As long as you're sure, I'm more than happy to try and recreate some of the fun things you were thinking about," Draco smirked. "What exactly were you thinking about?"

Hermione let out a low chuckle as she told Draco how her fantasies had started. When she described imagining his hands on her naked breasts he let out a low groan and his eyes automatically fell to his girlfriend's chest. However, because a couple of the buttons on the shirt were fastened he couldn't see her underwear. Spotting where Draco's attention was, Hermione popped open the couple of buttons that were holding the shirt together. When the shirt parted, Draco grinned appreciatively at the sight of Hermione's chest barely confined in a black and green bra.

"I take it you approve," Hermione grinned at her boyfriend.

"I approve," Draco nodded. "Now come here and I'll get to work on your fantasy."

Settling back against the pillows, Draco manoeuvred Hermione so she was sitting in front of him. Brushing his lips against the side of her neck, he began to remove the shirt she was wearing. Hermione helped Draco rid of her the shirt, leaving her in just her underwear. With the shirt out of his way, Draco began to gently massage Hermione's shoulders and neck, just as she'd thought about in the bath.

"That feels so good," Hermione said with a contented sigh.

"It'll feel even better in a minute," Draco responded as his hands briefly left Hermione's shoulders and expertly flicked the clasp on her bra open.

Returning his hands to Hermione's shoulders, Draco slid the bra straps off her shoulders and continued the massage. As he gave his girlfriend a massage, Draco peppered Hermione's skin with soft kisses. Gradually his hands began sweeping lower on Hermione's shoulders as he slowly pushed the bra straps down his girlfriend's arms.

"Now what came next in your little fantasy?" Draco teased as his hands ran up and down Hermione's arms.

"Your hands moved round to my front," Hermione replied as she wriggled her arms free of her bra straps. As she did so, her bra fell away from her breasts and she discarded it completely.

"Allowing me access, are you?" Draco chuckled.

"I didn't want anything to be in your way," Hermione answered with a smile.

"How thoughtful of you," Draco said as his eyes roved over Hermione's exposed breasts.

"You can touch," Hermione said, very aware that Draco's hands had crept around to her front but they had yet to venture up to her breasts.

Normally she would have thought he was just teasing her, but she had a feeling he was unsure of actually touching her. Hermione was guessing he was worried about hurting her as she was actually breastfeeding Lyra whenever possible and expressing milk for when she couldn't feed her daughter herself.

"I don't want to hurt you," Draco whispered, confirming what Hermione had been thinking.

"You won't hurt me," She reassured him. "Just don't be too rough."

"I won't," Draco vowed, pressing a kiss to Hermione's cheek.

Slowly Draco's hands crept up towards his girlfriend's breasts. The second his hands touched her exposed skin, his doubts about hurting his girlfriend vanished. He knew he would do nothing but bring pleasure to Hermione, and that was what he vowed to do for the rest of the night.

After a few minutes Draco's hands on her breasts got too much for Hermione and she needed more. Twisting her head round she kissed her boyfriend firmly on the lips. When Draco reconnected their lips for a second time, Hermione twisted herself around and straddled Draco's lap. Still kissing she began to unfasten his shirt and she slipped her hands underneath the shirt and ran them over his taught muscles.

"You're wearing too many clothes," She told him as she nipped at his neck.

"That problem can be rectified," Draco replied.

Giving Hermione another searing kiss, he moved his girlfriend off him and quickly tore his clothes off. When he was down to his boxers, he turned back to Hermione and pulled her back into his arms. Settling down on the bed together, the couple then proceeded to spend the next few hours making love for the first time since the birth of their daughter.


	8. Chapter 8

"So are you coming into Hogsmeade with us?" Ginny asked Hermione over breakfast one Saturday in the middle of November.

Since returning to school, Hermione hadn't accompanied her friends into Hogsmeade as she'd spent most of her weekends visiting Lyra. However, her friends had been getting worried about why she wasn't spending time with them on a weekend. Not wanting her friends to think she was neglecting them, Hermione had spoken to Draco and they'd decided that she should go to Hogsmeade with her friends. They could still visit Lyra later that evening.

"Yes, I'm coming into Hogsmeade with you," Hermione replied to the delight of her friends.

"Great," Ron beamed. "It feels like ages since we've all been together."

Hermione had to agree with Ron. It felt like an eternity since she'd spent some time having fun with her friends. Towards the end of the previous year she'd been pre-occupied with keeping her pregnancy under wraps, and this year she'd been late arriving at school and when she had arrived at school she'd been busy squeezing in time with Lyra. So she was looking forward to spending some time with her friends.

After breakfast, Hermione quickly ran up to the head dorms to grab her jacket while her friends headed up to Gryffindor Tower to get ready. In the head dorms, Hermione spoke to Draco and found he was also heading to Hogsmeade with his friends. Like her, he hadn't spent much time with his friends since returning to school so it would be nice for the pair of them to act like the teenagers they were.

Saying goodbye to Draco, Hermione headed down to the hallway where she met her friends and they headed off down to Hogsmeade. By the time Hermione and her friends arrived in the wizarding village beside the school they'd been joined by the other Gryffindor boys in seventh year. With all the boys being present, Hermione gravitated towards Ginny as the only other girl present and the two walked a few steps behind the boys as they chatted happily together.

"So how are things coming along with Harry?" Hermione asked.

Ginny had liked Harry for years, and while it was obvious that Harry also liked her, romance had been slow moving. For some reason Harry seemed reluctant to admit how he felt and ask Ginny out. Hermione suspected part of him was worried how it would affect his friendship with Ron, and she also knew he was worried about the war with Voldemort. Everyone knew Harry was a key component in the light side defeating the dark wizard, and Hermione knew Harry was worried the end result would be him losing his life. No doubt he was wary of starting anything with Ginny in case something happened to him and she was left alone after the war.

"We've been getting closer, but he's still hesitant about getting involved," Ginny said with a sigh.

"I can talk to him for you," Hermione offered.

"It's alright, I don't want him to think I'm pressuring him," Ginny said. "We'll get there in our own time."

"As long as you're sure," Hermione said. "Just let me know if you want me to sound him out."

"Thanks," Ginny said, smiling at Hermione. "Now enough about me, how are things with you? I've barely seen you since you got back to school."

"Sorry, I've just had a lot on my plate with head duties and studying," Hermione replied.

"So what's it like living with Malfoy?" Ginny asked. "Is he really annoying?"

"He's not bad actually," Hermione answered. She would love to confide in Ginny about their situation, but she knew she couldn't. "We're learning to get along. And to be honest the head dorms is a brilliant place to study. It's so peaceful."

"Just as long as you remember us lot up in Gryffindor Tower," Ginny said. "I know you want to do well on your exams, but don't forget your friends."

"Don't worry I won't," Hermione vowed. In fact she made a silent promise to herself to make more time for her friends. She could easily squeeze in more time with her friends without having to neglect Lyra.

"Come on you two, we're heading into Honeydukes," Ron called back to the two girls.

Exchanging amused looks at Ron's obvious excitement at heading into the sweet shop, Hermione and Ginny followed the boys into the shop. While the boys stocked up on sweets and chocolates, Hermione and Ginny looked at the festive boxes of chocolates that were being put out on display. With Christmas just over a month away, the shops were all starting to display their Christmas goodies.

"Zonko's next," Harry declared as the group exited the sweet shop.

"I don't fancy looking in the joke shop," Ginny said. "Hermione, why don't we go and look in the new clothes shop that's just opened up. We can meet the guys in The Three Broomsticks when we're done."

"That's okay with me," Hermione said.

"We're fine with that as well," Harry said. "We'll see you in The Three Broomsticks. Whoever gets there first can buy the drinks."

"Let's make sure it isn't us," Ginny whispered to Hermione as the two girls parted ways with the boys.

Ginny led the way to a new boutique that had opened over the summer. Since Hermione hadn't visited the village since her return to school she knew nothing about the shop, but it was clear Ginny had visited the place a couple of times since the beginning of the year. Ginny was gushing about the place as they entered the shop, so didn't notice Hermione's attention was captured by the children's section at the front of the shop.

"Come on, Hermione," Ginny said, taking hold of Hermione's arm and pulling her towards the female section. "They do some gorgeous stuff here. I can give you some ideas for Christmas presents."

Hermione chuckled at Ginny as she let herself be dragged towards the female section. For a while, Hermione was content to browse the racks with Ginny, but her attention soon waned and her eyes began to drift over to the children stuff. Hermione looked longingly at the baby clothes, wishing she could go over and find something for Lyra. She would love to take a little something for her daughter when she visited her later.

As she stood in the shop, Hermione suddenly realised just how hard it was going to be to buy her daughter any Christmas presents. She couldn't buy anything baby related in Hogsmeade without someone seeing her, and she wasn't able to go elsewhere to do her shopping. She could of course give Narcissa or Tonks some money and a list of things she wanted to buy, but it wouldn't be the same as buying them herself.

"Hey Hermione, what's wrong?" Ginny questioned, looking up and spotting the wistful expression on her best friends face.

"Nothing," Hermione said, forcing a smile on her face.

"Are you getting bored?" Ginny asked, knowing that her friend didn't like to spend hours looking at clothes. Books were a different matter, but clothes shopping wasn't something Hermione was keen on.

"You know this isn't really my scene," Hermione said. "And I do know enough about your style to know what you would like for Christmas."

As if to demonstrate, Hermione lifted up a top Ginny had failed to spot. The top was deep green with thin black lines and Ginny loved it. Acknowledging that Hermione didn't need help picking her a Christmas present, Ginny suggested they headed to the pub.

The girls arrived in the pub before the boys so they ordered a round of butterbeers and settled down at a corner table. Less than five minutes later the boys joined them, and Hermione forgot about the fact she couldn't buy presents for Lyra as the laughter rang around the table. The group stayed in the pub for a couple of hours, eventually ordering some food. Once everyone had ate and finished yet another round of drinks, the group headed back out into the village to visit the few shops they hadn't popped into that morning.

Back in the village and wandering in and out of shops, Hermione kept being confronted with baby stuff. She'd never noticed before, but almost every shop had something in that would be a great present for a baby. By the end of the trip, Hermione had spotted books, toys and clothes that would have been perfect for Lyra. If only she could have bought some things for her daughter.

Arriving back up at Hogwarts, Hermione said goodbye to her friends and headed back to the head dorms. After spending all day with them, no-one argued when Hermione said she wanted to do a few hours' homework and revision. However, Hermione never even glanced at her books as she entered the head dorms and pulled off her jacket and shoes. Curling up on the sofa, she sat staring into the fire, wishing things were different and that she could openly buy presents for her daughter.

Hermione was still sitting curled up on the sofa when Draco entered the head dorms more than an hour later. Draco's smile and warm greeting died on his lips when he spotted his girlfriend. Immediately thinking something terrible had happened, he rushed forward and perched next to Hermione on the sofa.

"Hermione, what's wrong?"

"Nothing," Hermione replied, shaking her head and attempting to smile.

Not believing her, Draco reached up and gently brushed his thumb over her cheek and wiping away a tear. "You've been crying."

"I didn't realise," Hermione muttered, hastily wiping away the rest of her tears. "It must be my hormones."

"Don't give me that, Hermione," Draco said with a snort. "Something is wrong, and I want to know what."

"It's stupid," Hermione whispered.

"I'm sure whatever it is, it isn't stupid," Draco said, sitting back on the sofa and putting an arm around Hermione's shoulder.

"It is," Hermione said. "I was in Hogsmeade today and I just kept seeing loads of stuff that would be perfect for Lyra. It just got to me that I couldn't buy her anything without someone noticing and asking questions. It's Christmas next month, and we won't have any opportunity to buy our daughter any presents."

"We can arrange something," Draco reassured his girlfriend. "School breaks up a few days before Christmas, I'm sure we can have a shopping trip sometime in those few days."

"I guess so, but even that's going to have to be organised so we go somewhere where we won't be recognised," Hermione pointed out. "I just wish we could buy what we want, when we want."

"I wish a lot of things," Draco said quietly. "I wish things weren't so tough for us. I wish we didn't have to hide and that we could be a proper family with Lyra."

"One day we will be," Hermione said, giving her boyfriend's hand a quick squeeze. She knew that because of the situation with Lucius, Draco felt a lot more responsibility for that fact they had to hide their daughter's existence. "We've only got a few more months at school, then we're going to be with Lyra all the time. Even if it is in secret depending on how the war is going."

"I'm just sorry things are so hard," Draco said.

"Draco, I wouldn't change you and Lyra for anything," Hermione said, giving her boyfriend a soft kiss. "I love the pair of you, and I know everything will work out for us."

"Let's hope you're right," Draco remarked with a small smile. "Now back to Christmas. How about we ask about shopping when we go and see Lyra tonight?"

"I'd like that," Hermione said. "Although we also need to make plans for Christmas. Will Lucius be expecting you and Narcissa at the manor?"

"We might have to make the odd appearance if he's got any parties to attend, but we won't have to spend the actual day with him," Draco answered. "Until I speak with Mother nearer the time, I'm not sure of final arrangements. But it won't change things with you, you'll be at our house with Lyra."

Draco and Hermione chatted a bit longer, until it was time for them to go and visit Lyra. Luckily both of them had told their friends they were going to spend the evening studying so no-one was expecting them down at dinner. After quickly tidying themselves up an excited Draco and Hermione flooed to Narcissa's house. Narcissa was waiting for the couple with Lyra in her arms, and she handed the little girls straight over to Hermione.

"Hello princess," Hermione cooed, hugging her daughter close and breathing in her comforting baby scent. "Mummy's missed you."

"So has Daddy," Draco added, moving over to beside Hermione and placing a kiss on the top of his daughter's head. "We've both missed you so much."

"I'll go and get some tea sorted," Narcissa said, smiling at the couple with their daughter. "Sit down and enjoy your time with Lyra."

Hermione and Draco did just that and for the next few hours they sat and played with their daughter. As they were spending time with Lyra they spoke to Narcissa about Christmas shopping and she promised to get something sorted with Tonks. After a few hours of playtime, Draco and Hermione bathed Lyra and together they settled her down for the night. Once their daughter was sleeping they said goodbye to Narcissa and headed back to school.

Soon it would be the holidays and they could spend a few whole weeks with Lyra, but until then they had to make sure they had to return to school and keep up the pretence that everything was normal in their lives. The last thing they wanted was for anyone to discover their little secret.


	9. Chapter 9

Even though she started her last year of school a month behind everyone else, the Christmas holidays couldn't arrive quick enough for Hermione. Even though she saw Lyra most days, and spent the majority of her weekends with her daughter, she was looking forward to spending a few uninterrupted weeks with her little girl. She'd been lucky enough for Tonks to arrange a shopping trip for her the last weekend before the break, so Christmas preparations were well under way.

On the morning the holidays began, Hermione boarded the Hogwarts Express with her friends. She would have loved to just floo home, but in order to keep up appearances she had to travel like everyone else. However, despite her eagerness to get home, in the end she was pleased she was travelling with her friends. She really hadn't seen a lot of Harry and Ron in the last few months, and she wouldn't be seeing them at all over the holidays.

"Are you sure you'll not be able to come and visit over Christmas?" Ron checked as they settled in for the long journey home.

The previous evening, Hermione had visited Gryffindor Tower and exchanged presents with her friends. She'd also informed them they she wouldn't be seeing them until they returned to school in the New Year.

"Sorry, my parents have plans for the holidays," Hermione replied, wishing yet again that she didn't have to lie. She was so looking forward to the day when she could tell her friends the truth about her life.

"Can't you get out of them?" Harry asked. "Even if it's only for a day."

"I doubt it," Hermione said. "They were pretty insistent that we had plans all holidays."

"It's such a shame," Ginny said with a sigh. "But we'll be thinking of you."

"I'll be thinking of you lot as well," Hermione said quietly as her mind started to wonder to her parents. Just talking about them made her think of how hopeless the situation with them was.

Hermione hadn't heard from her parents since they abandoned her when she was pregnant. She'd tried to see things from their point of view, but she just couldn't. She'd struggled with her parents decisions even before she had Lyra, but now she was a mother herself, she struggled even more to accept their choice. She knew there was nothing in the world that would make her abandon her daughter, so she had to wonder what she'd done wrong if her parents could do that to her. She'd even tried writing to her parents after she'd had Lyra, but the letter had come back with the owl she sent it with alongside another note asking her not to write again. Hermione did wonder if things would go better if she spoke to her parents in person, but so far she hadn't plucked up the courage to do so. Maybe Christmas would change all that and she could take the time to try and speak to her parents.

Shaking herself out of her slightly maudlin thoughts, Hermione turned her attention back to her friends. They still had a few hours before they arrived back at London and Hermione intended to make the most of the time with her friends. She would worry about her parents later, but right now she would focus her attention on Harry, Ron and Ginny.

The foursome happily chatted for nearly an hour before Ginny headed off to spend some time with her other friends. Ginny had barely left the compartment, before Harry and Ron lowered their voices and confided in Hermione that they would be spending a portion of their Christmas holidays helping Dumbledore with the Horcruxes.

"He's tracked down a cup that once belonged to Helga Hufflepuff," Harry explained.

"Exactly how many of these things are there?" Hermione asked with a frown. She knew Harry and Ron had explained about the Horcruxes when she'd first returned to school, but she couldn't remember them mentioning how many of them there was.

"We think Voldemort's split his soul into seven pieces," Harry answered. "That means, he has six Horcruxes."

"Dumbledore had already destroyed one when he told us about them, and we helped him destroy a second one," Ron said. "And this one makes three."

"He also thinks the diary I destroyed in second year was one," Harry added. "And we think Nagini is the last one."

"That's only five," Hermione pointed out. "What's the sixth one?"

"That's where we have a problem," Harry admitted. "Dumbledore is convinced it'll be something once belonging to Rowena Ravenclaw, but we're not sure what."

"Why is Dumbledore so convinced it's something belonging to Rowena Ravenclaw?" Hermione asked.

Harry explained Dumbledore's theories about how Voldemort was obsessed with the founders of Hogwarts as it was the only place he'd felt at home. The trio then got talking about Rowena Ravenclaw, and the little bit of information Dumbledore had managed to dig out on her. It turned out she was pretty reclusive and not much was known about the witch who'd helped start Hogwarts.

"Have you looked in the library at school?" Hermione asked.

"Yeah, but we're not really sure where to look," Harry confessed.

"In the New Year, I'll help you search for some answers," Hermione said. She'd decided it was time she got involved in really helping the Order defeat Voldemort. After all, her daughter wouldn't be safe until the dark wizard was defeated.

"You're the best, Hermione," Ron said with a grin.

For the rest of the journey talk of Voldemort was put to one side and they just concentrated on having fun. When they arrived at Platform Nine and Three Quarters, Hermione disembarked from the train with Harry and Ron. Ginny quickly caught up with them as they made their way to where Molly was waiting to meet her children and Harry.

"Are your parents not here, Hermione?" Molly asked as Hermione stopped to wish the older witch a Merry Christmas.

"I'm meeting them up in the muggle world," Hermione replied. "Speaking of which, I should get going. I'll see you all in the New Year. Have a great Christmas."

"You too," Harry said, giving Hermione a hug.

Hermione gave Ron and Ginny a hug, before saying goodbye and heading off towards the barrier that led to the muggle world. Just before she reached the barrier, Hermione spotted Draco with his parents. Hoping Draco and Narcissa wouldn't be caught up with Lucius for too long, and that they wouldn't have to spend too much time with him over the holidays, Hermione passed through the barrier into the muggle world. Exiting the station, she found Remus waiting for her outside.

"Hey," Hermione greeted, smiling at the wizard. "Thanks for coming to meet me."

"We wanted to be sure you were alright," Remus replied. They could have left Hermione to head home herself, but given the situation Dumbledore had insisted that someone should be there to meet her from the station. "Let's get going."

Hermione gladly took hold of Remus's arm and let him apparate her back home. The pair landed in the front hallway, and Hermione instantly dropped her bag to the floor and rushed into the front room. In the front room she found Tonks sitting on the sofa, with Lyra on her knee.

"Here's Mummy home," Tonks cooed to Lyra as she got to her feet.

Hermione scooped Lyra out of Tonks's arms and peppered her daughter with kisses. "How's she been?" She asked Tonks.

"She's been an angel as usual," Tonks replied. "And how's school been?"

"I've missed Lyra like crazy," Hermione answered as she settled down on the sofa with her daughter. "But it's been nice to spend time with Harry and Ron. I just wish I could tell them the truth."

"You'll be able to confide in them soon enough," Tonks said.

"I was also thinking of getting more involved with the Order after Christmas," Hermione said. "We need to get rid of Voldemort, and I need to help as much as I can."

"I think that's a very good idea," Remus said. "Just as long as you don't overstretch yourself."

"Don't worry, I won't," Hermione reassured the concerned pair. "Lyra is still my top priority."

Turning her attention to her daughter, Hermione fussed over her daughter as Tonks filled her in on what she'd been missing. Hermione was still sitting snuggled up with Lyra when the floo network lit up and Draco and Narcissa stepped from the flames. Dropping his bag to the floor, Draco rushed over to Hermione and plucked Lyra out of her arms. After giving his daughter a cuddle, he settled down beside Hermione and the pair spent a few minutes enjoying being a family.

"I'll get the elves to start dinner," Narcissa announced. "I thought we could all decorate the tree together once we've ate."

"That sounds like a lovely idea," Draco said to his mother.

"We'll be off," Remus said as he and Tonks got to their feet. "You know where to find us if you need anything."

"Please stay," Hermione said. "It is alright, isn't it Narcissa?"

"Of course," Narcissa replied. "I was planning on there being the five of us for dinner anyway."

"Don't you want some time alone as a family?" Tonks asked.

"You are family," Draco replied, shooting his cousin a smile. "Seriously though, you two are part of this family. We all want you to stay and eat with us."

With the matter settled Remus and Tonks stayed for dinner. They even hung around after dinner was finished, and watched as Draco and Hermione decorated the large Christmas tree in the corner of the front room.

"What do you think, princess?" Draco asked, cradling a drowsy Lyra in his arms as he stood in front of the finished Christmas tree. "Your first Christmas tree."

"I don't know about her, but I love it," Hermione said, standing beside her boyfriend. "I can't wait to celebrate our first Christmas together as a family."

"Neither can I," Draco replied as he dropped a kiss on the top of Hermione's head.

* * *

 **::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::**

* * *

The week leading up to Christmas was spent as a family for Draco and Hermione. While Narcissa ensured everything was ready for the big day, they concentrated on spending time with their daughter. Lyra was their first priority, and for the first time since she was born they were able to spend more than a few days as a family unit.

On Christmas Eve, Draco and Narcissa had to spend a few hours with Lucius, so Hermione spent the afternoon alone with Lyra. Luckily Lucius wasn't expecting to see either of them on Christmas Day, so they were able to have a proper family Christmas. Lyra was spoilt rotten with toys and clothes, and the adults all had fun doting on the young girl and indulging in the fantastic spread Narcissa's elf had laid on.

After a wonderful day, Hermione and Draco settled Lyra down in her nursery, before retiring to their own room. Also since the first time since they returned home for the holidays, Narcissa had the baby monitor and had promised to see to Lyra if she woke up in the night. As part of their Christmas present, Narcissa had promised them an uninterrupted evening together.

"I don't know about you, but I had a great day," Draco said as he flopped onto their bed.

"So did I," Hermione agreed. "And the day isn't over yet. I've got one more present for you if you want it."

"What's the present?" Draco asked as Hermione pulled a flat box from one of her drawers.

"Wait and see," Hermione replied as she headed for the bathroom. "But I promise you'll like it," She added, giving her boyfriend a wink before entering the bathroom and shutting the door behind her.

Having a good idea what his extra present was, Draco hopped off the bed and pulled his t-shirt and trousers off. He then settled himself back on the bed wearing just his emerald green boxers. Five minutes later he certainly wasn't disappointed when Hermione emerged from the bathroom, wearing a skimpy red and black lingerie set.

"Do I get to open my present?" Draco asked with a smirk.

"On one condition," Hermione replied as she stalked towards the bed. "No tearing and ripping. You open carefully, or you just look and don't get to touch."

"I'll be good," Draco vowed as Hermione perched on the bed beside him. "If you come closer, I'll show you just how good I can be."

Chuckling in response, Hermione crawled onto the bed and settled herself next to her boyfriend. Leaning down, Draco engaged her in a languid kiss as his hands started roaming over her scantily clad body. In return Hermione's hands caressed Draco's firm torso, slowly travelling downwards until her hands were toying with the waistband of his boxers.

"You're being a tease," Draco whispered in Hermione's ear as her hands ghosted over the only material he was wearing.

"Sorry." Hermione chuckled in response, before sliding Draco's boxers down his legs and taking him into her hand. "Better?"

"Much," Draco replied with a deep groan.

Draco took a few moments to enjoy Hermione's touch, before he refocused on getting his girlfriend naked. Remembering what she's said about being careful, he expertly undid her bra and slipped it off. He then peeled her knickers down her legs and dropped both garments to the floor beside his own discarded underwear.

"You are being good," Hermione remarked, taking note that her underwear was still intact.

"You haven't seen anything yet," Draco retorted, as he swept in and engaged Hermione in a heated kiss.

One kiss was enough to move things to the next step for the pair and the teasing ended as things took a more heated turn. Soon the pair were totally lost in each other as their bodies moved in perfect harmony. Tumbling into oblivion together, the couple lay entangled for several minutes as they caught their breath. Before they'd even fully recovered they started the whole process again, and for a few hours they forgot about everything else but how alive they made each other feel.

Finally the couple drifted off to sleep in each other's arms, looking forward to the upcoming New Year and what it would hold for them and their daughter. Little did they know, the upcoming year was going to be their toughest yet and they would need all their strength to emerge unscathed from what was about to befall them.

* * *

 **A/N – I want to thank everyone reading this story, and especially those who review. Just to let you know that from next week The Power of Love will be moving to Tuesday and Thursdays, so it can be updated twice a week.**


	10. Chapter 10

Jasper Edwards was a lowly ranked Death Eater, so he jumped at the chance to run an errand for The Dark Lord a few days into the New Year. Hoping a new year was going to bring a change of fortunes his way, Jasper headed off to pick up some potions ingredients for The Dark Lord. Unfortunately, his task took him into the muggle world and into a small village in Scotland. Not at all impressed about having to deal with muggles, Jasper quickly picked up what he needed and prepared to make a quick getaway.

Just as he was slipping into an alleyway to disappear, he spotted a face he thought he recognised across the street. Not sure who he would recognise in the muggle world, Jasper remained hidden in the shadows as he scanned the street to spot who had caught his attention. When he finally found the woman who'd caught his eye, he was surprised to find himself watching Narcissa Malfoy.

Jasper had never personally met Narcissa, but he'd seen the beautiful witch at parties and in the papers alongside her husband, Lucius, so he recognised her easy enough. Truth be told he was rather jealous of Lucius, and everything the other wizard had going for him in his life. Not only did Lucius have a beautiful wife, but he had a large manor house, a successful family business, a vast fortune sitting in Gringotts, a son and heir to carry on the family name and he also happened to be one of The Dark Lord's top men. Jasper meanwhile had a mediocre job at the Ministry, a moderate house and a few thousand in savings and was near the bottom of the pecking order amongst the Death Eaters. He didn't even have children to carry on his family name as he and his wife had been unable to have children together for some unknown reason.

As he watched Narcissa, and brooded over everything her husband had that he did not, Jasper realised that she wasn't alone. She was pushing a pram and every now and again she would lean down and fuss over the child in the pram. Shaking his head at how unfair it was that Lucius had yet another child, Jasper turned around and disappeared from the muggle village with a barely audible crack.

* * *

 **::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::**

* * *

As usual at Death Eater meetings, Lucius sat at the right hand side of Lord Voldemort as The Dark Lord conducted his business. Lucius had long since been a high ranking Death Eater, but in the two and a half years since Voldemort had returned, he'd risen to become his right hand man. These days Lucius was involved in everything The Dark Lord did and he was privy to information no-one else was. Not even his sister-in-law Bellatrix Lestrange, who was The Dark Lord's occasional lover and one of his most loyal followers, knew as much as Lucius.

After almost an hour of talking and making plans, Voldemort dismissed his followers for the evening. While Voldemort turned to his left and spoke quietly to Bellatrix, Lucius got to his feet and stopped one of the lowly Death Eaters who'd been doing a job for The Dark Lord.

"Do you have everything, Edwards?" He asked, once everyone had filed out of the room.

"I do," Jasper replied, pulling out a box from his robes and enlarging it before handing it to Lucius.

"Did you have any problems?" Lucius questioned as he opened the box to check everything was in order.

"No problems," Jasper replied. "Although I wasn't keen on visiting a muggle village."

"We all have to make sacrifices," Lucius replied. "I'm sure it didn't kill you associating with muggles for an hour or so."

"I coped," Jasper said. "And it wasn't as if I was the only magical person in the vicinity. I saw your wife in the village."

"Narcissa?" Lucius frowned, wondering what Narcissa was doing in a muggle village.

"I think she was just taking a stroll with the baby," Jasper replied. "Congratulations by the way. I didn't know you had a second child."

Lucius nodded dumbly as Jasper left his room. He was totally and utterly confused by the conversation he'd just had. Either Jasper was sorely mistaken, or there was something strange going on with Narcissa.

"Did he just say Cissa had a baby?" Bellatrix asked as Lucius turned back to face her and Voldemort.

"I think he must be mistaking her for someone else," Lucius said. "It's not like he's ever met Narcissa properly."

"I'm sure he's seen enough of her to know what she looks like," Bellatrix pointed out.

"Are you suggesting he was telling the truth?" Lucius asked his sister-in-law. "Do you really think he saw Narcissa with a child?"

"I don't know, but it's possible," Bellatrix said. "It's not like you and her and together all the time these days."

"Even so, I see her often enough to know she hasn't been pregnant," Lucius retorted. "Besides, she would never go against our marriage vows and cheat."

"Even if Edwards is mistaken, I think you should check it out," Voldemort advised. "We allow Narcissa quite a bit of freedom, and I think it's wise to be sure she's not abusing that freedom."

"I'll check it out, but I'm telling you now that Edwards has made a mistake," Lucius replied. "Whoever he saw in that muggle village it wasn't Narcissa. I can guarantee there's no baby in my wife's life."

* * *

 **::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::**

* * *

Two days later, Lucius was eating his words regarding Narcissa and a baby. Since he thought the very idea of Narcissa having a baby was ridiculous, he didn't bother speaking to his wife. Instead he decided to observe the house his wife lived in, meaning Narcissa didn't even realise he'd been checking up on her. Because of their agreement he couldn't pass through the boundary lines of the property, but he was confident he could observe the house without alerting Narcissa to his presence.

Sure enough Lucius was able to watch the house without been noticed, but he didn't like what he saw. First of all, there was indeed a baby living at the house and he rarely saw Narcissa without her having the child with her. Secondly, there were two Order members living on the small house at the edge of the estate. Even though they seemingly lived in a separate house, they both entered and left the main house regularly and Narcissa seemed friendly with them both.

After a few days watching the house, Lucius didn't see anyone else and was confident it was just Narcissa and the baby in the main house, and the two Order members in the smaller house. Not at all impressed with what he'd discovered, Lucius abandoned his stakeout and returned to the manor, where he spoke to Voldemort and Bellatrix about what he'd discovered.

"The baby cannot be hers," Lucius insisted. "I'm telling you Narcissa hasn't been pregnant lately."

"What's the alternative?" Bellatrix questioned. "The baby has to belong to someone."

"Yes it does," Lucius muttered thoughtfully.

"What are you thinking, Lucius?" Voldemort asked.

"I'm thinking the baby isn't Narcissa's, it just can't be," Lucius replied. "But I do know someone who she would help with their baby."

"Who?" Bellatrix demanded.

"Draco."

There was silence in the room as Voldemort and Bellatrix digested what Lucius had suggested. They all knew Narcissa would do anything for her son, and that would include raising his child for him so he could carry on at school.

"That's definitely possible," Bellatrix finally agreed. "But where's the baby's mother? Why don't you know about the child? And why is there two members of the Order staying with Narcissa?"

"I don't know because Draco and Narcissa clearly don't want me to know," Lucius replied. "The mother could be dead, or she could also be at school with Draco. Although I can tell you, she's not someone whose Father we're associated with. If Draco had fathered a child with the likes of Pansy Parkinson or Daphne Greengrass, their fathers would make it their business for me to know what was going on. And as for the Order, I think it's clear that Narcissa has gone back on her word and turned on us."

"That won't do Lucius," Voldemort muttered menacingly. "Narcissa was given her freedom on the express condition she stayed away from the Order. By working with them, she's breached our agreement. She needs to be brought back into line."

"And she will be," Lucius vowed. "But first we need to be sure the baby truly is Draco's."

"How are you going to do that?" Bellatrix asked. "I doubt asking him will get you anywhere."

"We're going to check the Malfoy family tapestry," Lucius answered. "Any child will have shown up there."

Exiting the front room, which was where they'd been talking, the trio made their way up to a deserted room at the top of the manor. The room held the vast Malfoy family tapestry and a few bits and pieces that Narcissa had never liked so had never been displayed around the manor. Locating the part of the tapestry they desired, it took the threesome a few minutes to confirm the baby was indeed Draco's child.

"Where's the mother's name?" Voldemort asked, gesturing to the blank space where the mother of the child should have been listed.

"The tapestry only registers official unions," Lucius explained. "Because Draco isn't married to the witch he got pregnant, she won't show up on the tapestry. And because the baby is illegitimate, all we've got is a label saying baby girl. Her name won't appear on the tapestry because she's not considered a proper Malfoy."

To illustrate his point, Lucius showed Voldemort and Bellatrix a few more illegitimate children on the family tree. Like Draco's child, none of them had a name as they weren't officially a Malfoy. He did explain that if Draco married the mother of his child then they might both appear on the tapestry, and he gave an example of one of his ancestors that had been born out of wedlock but had appeared as legitimate once his parents had married.

"What do you mean, they might appear?" Bellatrix asked. "Why wouldn't they appear on the tapestry if Draco marries this girl?"

"It'll depend on the girl," Lucius answered with a shrug. "The Malfoy tapestry is enchanted to never admit a muggleborn onto it."

"You think Draco is involved with a mudblood?" Bellatrix gasped.

"I don't know," Lucius admitted. "Before this happened I would have said that Draco still held the values I taught him as a child, but I'm not so sure anymore. One thing I do know is that I made a big mistake letting Narcissa take him away from the manor. It's time Draco returned home and faced up to what it means to be a Malfoy."

"This child could be the key," Voldemort mused, tapping the tapestry over the point that registered that Draco had a daughter. "We could use her to make Draco join us."

"Anything we can use is fine by me," Lucius said. "But if this child is as impure as I think, we'll need to get rid of her and her mother. I won't have anything tainting the family name."

"Don't worry Lucius, we'll use the child to get Draco on side and when the time is right we'll destroy both her and her mother," Voldemort said with an evil chuckle. "By that point, Draco won't have anything to fight for, and he'll willingly stay with us."

"And once we've defeated Dumbledore and his Order, I can marry him off to a nice pureblood girl and I can have legitimate grandchildren," Lucius added.

Returning to the front room, the trio set about planning how they would use Draco's child against him. The child was the key to getting Narcissa back home and getting Draco to embrace his density as a follower of The Dark Lord. All they needed was a plan. Half an hour later they had a plan in place, all they had to do was wait for the right time to strike, and when they did, they would have Draco exactly where they wanted him.


	11. Chapter 11

Returning to school after Christmas seemed a lot easier for Hermione and Draco than what returning after the summer break had been. Of course they both hated to leave Lyra and wished they could stay with their daughter, but they knew they had a schedule in place so they would still be able to see plenty of the young girl. However, it helped that this time they were returning to school together and wouldn't have to deal with being separated from each other as well as being apart from their daughter.

Once they were back at Hogwarts the couple easily slipped back into the routine with visiting Lyra every day. The couple also vowed to spend a bit more time with their friends over the coming months. Hermione had already decided to become more heavily involved with the Order, and while it was too difficult for Draco to become more involved with the Order, he still had his own friends to concentrate on. He was happy to spend some extra time down in the dungeons hanging out with Blaise and Theo and talking quidditch tactics.

A few weeks into the start of the new term, the couple were discussing their plans for the day as they ate breakfast at home with their daughter. Since Draco and Hermione were with Lyra, Narcissa was busy elsewhere and giving the couple some time alone with their daughter.

"We've got an extra quidditch practice this evening," Draco told Hermione. "We could have lunch together, but I think Theo might want to talk about practice. He's worried that his place on the team is in jeopardy."

"Is it?" Hermione asked. She knew Theo played as a chaser and while she knew very little about quidditch she'd been under the impression he was rather good at the position.

"Of course not, it's just Theo being neurotic," Draco replied with a laugh. "He missed a couple of goals in the last training session and now he's worried he's lost his touch. To be honest, he has chance to be a bag of nerves before this evenings training session if I don't calm him down."

"Have lunch with your friends," Hermione said. "I've got stuff to talk to Harry and Ron about anyway. We can catch up after practice."

"Are you sure?" Draco checked. "It could be a late one."

"I'm not going anywhere," Hermione replied. "I'll be in the head dorms no matter what time you get back."

"I'll try and get through things in extra quick time," Draco vowed, giving Hermione a smile. "Maybe then we could have a work our session of our own."

"That sounds good," Hermione said. "Especially if you keep your uniform on."

"That's a deal," Draco replied with a laugh.

Finishing up their breakfast, they spent a few extra minutes with Lyra, before handing her over to Narcissa for the day. Returning to school was a bit of a wrench as it always was, but once they were back in the head dorms their focus turned back to school. Making sure they had everything the couple shared a lingering kiss, before exiting their dorms and going their separate ways for the day.

By lunchtime, Draco was pleased that Hermione didn't have a problem with him eating with his friends. Theo was worse than he thought, and if he didn't get him straightened out he wouldn't be able to mount a broom come practice time, let alone fly one and play quidditch.

"I'll meet you two down in The Great Hall," Draco said to Blaise and Theo as the bell went to signal lunchtime. "I've just got to head up to the head dorms and grab the prefects patrol rota. I thought I had it in my bag, but it's not there and I need to hang it up in the prefect's room before tonight's patrols."

"I don't think I can eat," Theo moaned dramatically.

"Make him eat Blaise," Draco ordered. "And for Merlin's sake Theo, stop moaning before I kick you off the team for annoying the captain."

Sharing an eye roll with Draco, Blaise grabbed Theo by the arm and escorted him off to The Great Hall. Wondering just what had gotten into Theo, Draco turned in the opposite direction and headed back to the head dorms.

The prefect's patrols weren't on the desk where Draco had thought he may have left them, so it took him a bit of time to locate them. Finally he spotted the piece of parchment on the floor, and he was just crawling under the table to get it when he was disturbed by a knocking on the window. Looking up he scowled when he spotted his father's personal owl pecking at the window. Not only did he not know why his father was writing to him, but he had no idea why he was doing so in the middle of the day.

When Draco opened the window for the owl, it remained perched on the windowsill outside. Muttering about the bird, he plucked the envelope from its leg and watched as it soared back into the sky and disappeared. Shutting the window behind him, Draco opened the letter from his father and felt his blood run cold as he took in the contents. The letter was a short one, requesting that he visit the manor that afternoon. However, the truly terrifying thing was the lock of fine blonde hair enclosed with the letter, along with a spotty ribbon that Draco knew for a fact was in his daughter's hair that morning.

Draco stared at the letter for what felt like an eternity, before he regained his senses and went flying to the fireplace. Hurriedly he flooed home and burst out of the fire into the front room.

"Lyra! Mother!" Draco called as he fled from room to room in search of his daughter.

Ten minutes later he'd visited every room and found no sign of anyone. His mother and Lyra weren't in the house, but neither were Tonks and Remus. Flying back downstairs, Draco tore over to the small house where Tonks and Remus had been staying. Hammering on the door he got no response, so he did something he wouldn't normally do and entered without waiting for an answer. Unfortunately he found no sign of Tonks or Remus in the house.

Returning to the main house, Draco flooed back to Hogwarts in a panic. As well as worrying about Lyra, Draco was also starting to feel his anger rise. Not only was he fuming at his father for snatching his daughter, he was mad at himself for not being there for Lyra, and for Dumbledore for promising that Lyra would be safe. His emotions running wild, Draco stormed out of the head dorms and ran down to The Great Hall.

Without thinking Draco burst into The Great Hall, causing the double doors to bang furiously off the walls. His entrance had grabbed everyone's attention, but only had eyes for one man. Storming down to the Professor's table, he slammed Lucius's letter down on the table.

"You promised me," Draco yelled. "You promised me she'd be safe."

From down the hall, Hermione frowned at the scene her boyfriend was making. From her position, she couldn't see what the problem was with Dumbledore, but like everyone else she'd heard his yell.

"What's going on?" Ron hissed from beside Hermione, who shrugged him off and concentrated on what was going on at the front of the hall.

"She's gone," Draco continued, still fuming at the headmaster. "My daughter is gone."

Shocked gasps sounded around the hall as Hermione got to her feet. Feeling numb, she headed towards the Professors table. As she walked, Draco continued to rant at Dumbledore about how Lyra was missing. Stopping a few paces behind Draco, Hermione spotted the lock of her daughter's hair and her spotty ribbon. Hermione let out a quiet moan at the sight, before she turned on her heel and began to sprint out of the room.

Hermione's moan brought Draco to his senses, and he whirled round in time to see his girlfriend fleeing the room.

"Shit," He cursed, mentally kicking himself for not thinking of Hermione before he burst into the room. "Hermione, wait."

Taking off after his girlfriend, Draco sprinted out of The Great Hall, oblivious to the scene he'd left behind. While most of the students turned to each other to gossip, Dumbledore, Snape and McGonagall jumped to their feet to rush after the head students. At the Slytherin table Blaise and Theo jumped up and ran towards the doors as the Gryffindor trio of Harry, Ron and Ginny did the same.

"What on earth?" Ron muttered as he, Harry and Ginny ran from The Great Hall. "What's going on?"

"And why is Malfoy yelling about a daughter?" Harry questioned. "Who knew he had a daughter?"

"And who's the mother?" Ron asked.

"I would have thought that one was obvious," Blaise remarked as he and Theo came up behind the trio. "I think Granger's reaction filled in the rest of the story."

Harry and Ron didn't have time to process what was happening as they burst into the head dorms minutes after the Professors. There was no sign of the two head students, but no-one seemed worried by that. Dumbledore just marched straight to the fire and disappeared in a whirl of green flames. Now all Snape, McGonagall and Draco and Hermione's friends could do was wait and see exactly what was happening.

When Dumbledore emerged from the fire at Narcissa's house, he found Hermione crumpled on the floor, clutching a teddy belonging to Lyra and sobbing her heart out. Draco was on his knees, with his arms wrapped around his girlfriend as tears fell from his own eyes.

"I'm so sorry, Hermione," Draco sobbed as he clung onto his girlfriend.

"Where is she?" Hermione asked through her tears. "Where's my baby?"

"It would appear Draco's father has her," Dumbledore answered. When Draco had gone running after Hermione, he'd left the letter on the table and Dumbledore had picked it up to try and get a complete picture of what was happening.

"We have to get her back," Hermione sobbed.

"I will," Draco promised. "I promise that he won't hurt our little girl."

"Let's go back to school," Dumbledore said gently. "I know this is terrible, but we need to think clearly."

"What's to think about?" Draco snorted as he wiped away the tears from his face. "The letter said I was to go to the manor, so I'll go. I'll go and get our daughter back."

"Let's discuss this back at school," Dumbledore said. "Before we decided anything, we need to check that Narcissa and Lyra aren't anywhere around. They might just have gone for a walk."

Despite the fact that Draco and Hermione didn't believe what Dumbledore was saying, they let the headmaster persuade them to return to school. Hermione was crying so hard that she couldn't floo by herself, so Draco stepped into the flames with his girlfriend and supported her as they headed back to school. When they emerged in the head dorms, they were oblivious to the onlookers as Draco settled Hermione down on one of the sofas and wrapped her in his arms as she continued to cry.

"I'm confused," Ron whispered. "What's going on?"

"I'm guessing Draco and Hermione have a child together and something's happened to her," Blaise said quietly, unable to tear his eyes away from where Draco was comforting a devastated Hermione.

"Hermione hasn't had time to have had a baby," Ron argued. "We would have noticed if she'd been pregnant."

"Why do you think she was so late back to school?" Theo tutted.

"It wasn't chickenpox," Ginny whispered. "She was having the baby."

"Will you five be quiet," Snape snapped. "If you're staying, sit down and don't get in the way."

Obediently the five sat down on the remaining sofa and a couple of chairs, just as Dumbledore alighted from the fire followed by Remus Lupin. Dumbledore quickly explained that Remus had returned to the house just a few minutes earlier. Remus also confirmed that when he left the house that morning Narcissa and Tonks were taking Lyra for her morning walk down to the village.

"Severus, go with Remus and search the village and the nearby area," Dumbledore ordered. "I would like to know exactly what we're dealing with before anyone does anything stupid."

"I've already told you what I'm going to do," Draco said quietly. "I'm going to do as the letter says and go home to meet my father."

"The letter says you're to return home sometime this afternoon. Before you do anything rash, let us think about our options," Snape said, placing a reassuring hand on Draco's shoulder. "Let us get as much information as we can before you do anything."

"Fine," Draco conceded with a sharp nod. "But nothing will stop me from going to save my daughter."

"And we wouldn't expect anything less," Dumbledore said. "But first, let us do what we can."

Draco nodded again, before refocusing his attention on Hermione. Hermione's sobs had quietened down, but his could still feel her shaking as she held tightly onto him. Whispering how sorry he was and that he would everything he could to get their daughter back, Draco continued to hold Hermione as Dumbledore sorted things around them.

Once Remus and Snape had disappeared back through the floo network, he sent McGonagall to alert a few more members of the Order and gather them in his office. He then sent for Madam Pomfrey to come and check Hermione was alright. With all that in hand, he turned to the students who had been sitting quietly observing and filled them in on the basic facts of the situation. Since they were the best friends of Draco and Hermione, he saw no point in lying to them. Chances were the young couple were going to need all their friends as they dealt with what was happening.

When Madam Pomfrey arrived in the head dorms, she tried to get Hermione to take a potion to help her rest but Hermione refused. Eventually Hermione won the argument, and Madam Pomfrey settled for keeping an eye on the young witch.

"Will she be alright?" Hermione whispered to Draco as they waited to see what would happen next.

"She will," Draco vowed. "I'll save her Hermione, I promise. And I'm so sorry for what happened down in the Great Hall. I just wasn't thinking."

"It doesn't matter," Hermione said, brushing the incident aside. "All that matters is Lyra and getting her home safely."

"I'll do whatever it takes to make sure that happens," Draco replied in a solemn voice. They both knew that to save their daughter that Draco might have to join Voldemort or even sacrifice his own life, but neither of them were willing to voice those worries out loud.

"I know you will," Hermione said, offering her boyfriend a weak smile. "And you just need to remember that we love you. Nothing will ever change that, I promise."

Unconcerned by the fact their friends were sitting watching them, Draco pressed his lips against Hermione's in a needy kiss. Holding onto each other the couple remained lost in their own little world as they prepared themselves for the next step.

Finally Snape reappeared via the floo network, and they instantly knew from his face that it wasn't good news. Quietly he broke the news that they'd found Tonks a couple of miles from the house. She'd been killed and left in a ditch by the roadside and there was no sign of Narcissa and Lyra. While a fresh wave of grief swept the room, Dumbledore contacted McGonagall in his office and instructed her to send people to help Remus bring Tonks back to the Order.

"I think it's clear what has to happen next," Draco said as he gently removed himself from Hermione's grasp and got to his feet. "I have to go to the manor."

"Severus will go with you," Dumbledore said. "And that's something I'm not negotiating," He added when Draco opened his mouth to argue.

"Very well." Draco nodded at the headmaster, before he turned and acknowledged his friends for the first time. "I wish I could stick around to explain, but I have to go and chances are I won't be back. But I want you both to do me a favour and watch out for Hermione for me. Hermione and Lyra mean the world to me, and I need to know they're safe."

"You can trust us, Draco," Blaise said seriously as he stood up and briefly embraced his friend.

"We'll keep them safe until you return," Theo vowed as he also gave Draco a quick hug. "And you will return, we know you will."

Draco thanked his friends before turning back to Hermione. Even though her tears from earlier had subsided his girlfriend was crying softly again, and this time he knew the tears were for him.

"Don't cry," He whispered, wiping her tears away as she stood before him. "We both know I'm doing what needs to be done."

"I know," Hermione replied quietly. "And I love you for it. You do whatever you have to do to keep our daughter safe, Draco. I mean it, do anything to protect her."

"I will," Draco vowed. "I'll do whatever it takes to keep her and you safe and out of harm's way. I love you Hermione."

"I love you too," Hermione whispered as they shared an all too brief kiss.

Reluctantly the couple parted and after receiving a few last minute pieces of advice from Dumbledore, Draco left with Snape to face his father. The second Draco left, Hermione slumped back into her seat as the tears started again. Ginny was the first one to reach Hermione, but within a minute she was surrounded by not just her friends but Draco's as well. At least she had some support while she waited for news of her daughter and her lover.


	12. Chapter 12

As he quietly headed down to the dungeons with Snape, Draco idly wondered what was happening with the rest of the school. There was no sign of anyone so he didn't know if the rest of the students were in classes with someone covering Potions and Transfiguration, or if everyone was gathered in their house dorms. Not that it really mattered as Draco was about to leave Hogwarts and he didn't honestly believe he would see the place again. He would be lucky to even be alive at the end of the day.

The sobering realisation that he may not have long to live took Draco's mind back to Hermione. He trusted Blaise and Theo would do their best by her and Lyra, and he was thankful that they'd been there before he had to leave. Of course Hermione would have her own friends who would undoubtedly support her, but it made him feel better to know there was people he trusted with his girlfriend. Blaise actually had no connections with the dark at all, and even though Theo's father was a Death Eater he wasn't anyone majorly important to The Dark Lord and more importantly Theo had no intention of following in his father's footsteps. The fact Blaise and Theo were both planning on keeping as far away from the dark as possible was one of the main reasons he was friendlier with them these days and he'd left some of his other friends like Crabbe and Goyle behind. Crabbe and Goyle were sheep who would do whatever someone told them to do, but Blaise and Theo had minds of their own, and they were just the sort of people that Hermione could rely on.

Draco was brought back to reality with a bump when he realised they'd arrived in the dungeons. With growing nerves he followed Snape into his office. Suddenly he was really pleased that he had Snape at his side as he prepared to face The Dark Lord.

"Won't you get into trouble for knowing about Lyra?" Draco asked, the thought suddenly popping into his head.

"I didn't know before today," Snape replied, the lie slipping off his tongue easily. "I'm confident I can hide my memories of events before today. And since I wasn't involved too much, I'm hoping you can do the same."

"I'll try," Draco vowed.

"Just do what you can," Snape replied. "I'm hoping The Dark Lord won't press you too much. Hopefully once he's checked my memories he'll be satisfied I'm telling the truth. But if he asks you, tell him you confided in Dumbledore and he brought in Tonks and Remus. Other than that, no-one knew about Lyra."

"It's near enough to the truth that I should be able to manage that," Draco said, as he concentrated on pushing thoughts of Snape out of his head.

"We should go," Snape said. "We don't want to keep The Dark Lord waiting. The floo network is connected to the manor and we should land in the main floo room."

"Thank you for coming with me," Draco said, offering his Potions Professor a small smile before turning his attention to what lay ahead of him.

Grabbing some floo powder, Draco headed home before he lost his bottle. As Snape said, he arrived in the main floo room. Draco had barely stepped away from the fire when it lit up a second time and Snape followed him into the room. Before either of them had a chance to make their way to the door, a house elf appeared with a crack.

"Master Lucius is waiting in the living room," The elf announced, before disappearing again.

Steeling himself for what was about to come, Draco led the way out of the floo room. Turning to his left, he headed down a short corridor that led into the main entrance hall. From there he crossed over the entrance hall and came to a halt outside the double doors that led to the main living room in the manor. Behind him, Snape placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder and gave it a squeeze.

"Just think of Lyra," he whispered.

Draco nodded and taking a deep breath, he pushed open the doors and strode into the room. Lucius was standing imposingly in front of the fireplace, but all of Draco's attention was on the sofa. Narcissa was sitting on the sofa, fiercely cradling Lyra in her arms. Draco immediately rushed over to his mother, and when she looked up he could see she'd been crying.

"I'm so sorry, Draco," Narcissa whispered. "We tried to fight them off but they took us by surprise."

"It's okay, it's not your fault," Draco said to his mother as he pulled Lyra into his arms and hugged his little girl. "Have they hurt her?"

"Of course we haven't," A cold voice said from the far side of the room.

Handing Lyra back to Narcissa, Draco got to his feet and slowly turned around. He'd been so distracted by the sight of his mother and daughter that he'd failed to notice the dark wizard sitting in the corner. As Voldemort rose and stepped into the light, Draco automatically stepped in front of Narcissa and Lyra.

"Draco, it's nice to finally meet you," Voldemort said.

"I can't say the feeling is mutual," Draco hissed. "Not when you've kidnapped my daughter."

"She's merely a means to an end," Voldemort said, waving his hand dismissively. "Do as we want, and she leaves here unharmed."

"And what do you want?" Draco asked.

"All in good time," Voldemort replied with a low chuckle. "Sit down for a minute. I want to talk to Severus."

Draco glanced over at Snape, and when the older wizard subtly nodded his head he did as Voldemort requested and perched next to Narcissa. Taking hold of Narcissa's hand, he gave it a reassuring squeeze as they watched Snape fully enter the room and stand in front of Voldemort.

"My Lord," Snape said, dipping his head in a show of respect.

"What do you know about the situation?" Voldemort asked.

"Just what I've discovered today," Snape answered, aware that Voldemort had entered his mind and was flicking through his memories.

"You had no idea about the baby before today?" Voldemort checked.

"No. I only found out about her today."

Voldemort continued to look through Snape's memories before withdrawing with a slight nod. He then turned his focus on Draco, and the blond wizard fought hard not to wince as Voldemort forcefully entered his mind. Draco concentrated on keeping Snape out of his thoughts as Voldemort viewed the memories of him and Hermione talking to Dumbledore.

"I'm satisfied Severus knew nothing of the situation," Voldemort said to Lucius. "Dumbledore kept it under wraps."

"And what about the mother?" Lucius asked, glaring at his son. "Do I get to find out who my son got pregnant."

"Hermione Granger," Draco answered. Considering Voldemort had been through both his and Snape's memories, he knew there was no point lying about who Lyra's mother was.

"A mudblood," Lucius snarled. "No wonder you went to the Order."

"The Order were protecting my family," Draco snapped back.

"And what a good job they did," Lucius snorted. "From where I'm sitting your daughter is anything but safe."

"If you touch her, I'll kill you," Draco snarled, jumping up and glaring at his father.

"Such darkness, I like it," Voldemort chuckled.

"Draco, don't," Narcissa cautioned. "Just find out what they want."

"Be a good boy and listen to your mother, Draco," Lucius said, smirking at his son.

Draco glared hatefully at his father, before turning back to Voldemort. "I'm here, so what do you want?"

"That's simple, I want you to join me," Voldemort replied.

"And what about Lyra?" Draco questioned. "I'll do whatever you want, but you have to let her go."

"I was always planning on letting her go," Voldemort replied. "Of course, it'll be under my terms and not yours."

"And what might those terms be?" Draco asked.

"Give me your left arm," Voldemort instructed.

Despite knowing what was going to happen, Draco was unprepared for the searing pain that shot through him as Voldemort pressed the tip if his wand to his wrist. Crying out in pain, Draco fell to his knees as the Dark Mark etched itself onto his pale forearm. When the mark was fully formed, Voldemort yanked Draco back to his feet as he sheathed his wand back into his robes.

"And this will ensure you do as I say," Voldemort announced, carefully pulling a spotty ribbon from his robes.

Draco's eyes widened as he recognised the ribbon as being a match to the one of Lyra's that he'd received at lunchtime. Before he had a chance to ask what Voldemort was going to do with the ribbon, The Dark Lord closed his hand around the ribbon. Instantly Lyra let out a loud squeal of pain and Draco rushed over to his daughter as Narcissa tried her best to comfort her.

"What have you done?" Draco demanded, his heart racing as he realised The Dark Lord had power over his little girl. "Stop it. Stop hurting her, she's just a baby."

With a chuckle, Voldemort opened his hand and smoothed the ribbon back out. Once the ribbon was lying smoothly in his hand, Lyra's pained cries turned into gentle whimpers.

"A simple spell to keep you in line," Voldemort explained. "This ribbon is tied to your daughter. You've seen how easy it is to hurt her. If the ribbon is cut or snaps, it ends your daughter's life. Obey me, and I'll have no cause to use it. Refuse to do as I say, and your daughter suffers. It's your choice Draco."

Draco looked down at Lyra, who was still whimpering slightly, and his eyes filled with tears. He wasn't going to let Voldemort hurt her again, no matter what that meant he had to do in order to keep her safe.

"I'll do whatever you want," he spat. "Just let my daughter go."

"Severus can take her back to Hogwarts when he goes," Voldemort said. "I don't need her, not as long as I've got the ribbon."

"And what about my mother?" Draco asked. "Will you let her go as well?"

"I don't think so," Lucius replied with a chuckle. "Narcissa stays here, where she should have been all this time. It's time for us to be a family again."

"Don't argue," Narcissa whispered to Draco. "Lyra is the important one here, not me. As long as she's safe, that's all that matters."

"Your mother is a wise woman, I would listen to her," Voldemort said. "Hand your daughter over to Severus and he can take her back to her mother."

Draco gently lifted Lyra from Narcissa's arms and held her close for a few minutes before slowly walking over to Snape and reluctantly handing his daughter over. While Snape got Lyra settled in his arms, Narcissa picked up the bag of Lyra's baby stuff she had on her when she was taken and handed it to her friend.

"Off you go Severus," Voldemort ordered. "And make sure you tell Dumbledore to leave Draco alone. Any attempt at rescue will result in the ribbon being destroyed, and I'm sure no-one wants that."

"Goodbye princess," Draco whispered, dropping a kiss to Lyra's head before she disappeared out of his life.

Not wanting to risk Voldemort changing his mind about letting Lyra go, Snape turned round and hurried out of the room. Because the floo room was a short walk from the living room, no-one heard the floo network activating to signal Snape had left the premises, however a few minutes after he left the room an elf appeared and nodded at Lucius before disappearing again.

"Now that filthy child is out of my house, we can continue," Lucius remarked. "It's time the pair of you both learnt your place in life."

"I don't want to get in the way of family business, so I'll leave you to it," Voldemort said. "I'll give you a few days to settle in Draco, but don't worry, I have the perfect first assignment for you."

Sweeping out of the room, Voldemort left the Malfoys alone. Instantly Draco crossed back to Narcissa's side and stood next to his mother as they faced Lucius.

"Don't worry, I won't hurt either of you," Lucius said with an amused chuckle. "I have no intention of striking my wife and son, no matter how much they may deserve it. I just want to lay out some ground rules to the pair of you. From now on both of you are confined to the manor, unless you're out with myself or The Dark Lord. You're to have no contact with the outside world, and there'll be no visitors allowed. I'll get an elf to go and get your belongings from the other house, but as of this minute, you're both back living at the manor."

Lucius issued a few more reminders that they were to obey him, before he headed off to his study. With Lucius gone, Draco and Narcissa headed upstairs to get settled back into the family home. Lucius had told Draco he was to go back to living in his old room, while Narcissa would be moving back into the main bedroom with her husband. Draco automatically headed to his old bedroom, and Narcissa followed her son.

"I'm so sorry," she whispered as the pair entered the bedroom that Draco hadn't used since he was fourteen.

"It's not your fault," Draco reassured his mother as he sat down on the bed. "I'm sure you did everything you could."

"We did," Narcissa said as she sat down next to her son. "Tonks and I were taking Lyra for our normal morning walk when we were grabbed from behind. We tried to fight, but Tonks was knocked to the ground and one of the Death Eater snatched Lyra from her pram. We couldn't risk him hurting her, so we did as they asked. I went with one of them, and I don't know what happened to Tonks. Is she okay?"

"She's dead," Draco answered quietly. When Narcissa began to cry, he put his arm around her and held onto his mother. "I'm sorry," he whispered.

"It's not your fault," Narcissa said through her tears.

"Do you know how Father found out about Lyra?" Draco asked.

"All he would say was a little bird told him," Narcissa answered. "I don't know if that means someone has seen me out with Lyra, or if the Order have a leak."

"I don't know, and we're not exactly in a position to get a message to the Order warning them," Draco replied with a sigh. "I doubt we'll even be allowed to talk to Severus from now on."

Narcissa was silent for several moments, before a smile lit up her face. "I think I have a way we can keep in touch with Hermione," she announced. "Tipsy!" She called quietly.

With a pop a frantic looking Tipsy appeared in the middle of Draco's old bedroom. "Tipsy was so worried, Mistress. No-one is in the house. Little Miss Lyra was gone."

"Things are complicated Tipsy," Narcissa said, briefly filling the elf in on what was happening. "I want you to go to Hogwarts and look after Hermione and Lyra. If you can come back with messages, come back to Draco's room but be careful that you're never seen here at the manor."

"Tell Hermione, we love her and we're perfectly fine," Draco said to the elf. "Also tell her that someone told Father about Lyra. Dumbledore might want to look to see if the Order have a leak. If you can, try and visit once a week so we can pass messages to one another, but don't take any risks."

"Tipsy will do her best," The elf vowed.

"Go," Narcissa urged the elf. "And thank you, Tipsy."

The elf smiled at Narcissa and Draco, before quietly disappearing. Left alone again, mother and son shared a final hug before Narcissa left Draco to settle in back at home. With a depressed sigh, Draco flung himself onto his old bed and stared at the ceiling. He was now a Death Eater, and he hated to think what Voldemort would make him do. Unfortunately, with the power he held over Lyra, he could pretty much make Draco do anything. There wasn't anything Draco would refuse to do if it resulted in his daughter being killed.

* * *

 **A/N - Currently fan fiction isn't alerting followers to story updates, which was what happened when I posted this chapter,** **so there will be a small pause in my updating** **. Hopefully it will be sorted soon, and I'll post some bonus chapters when it is sorted, but until then I'm not going to update until I know my followers are getting their notifications as half the people reading the story will end up missing half of it and it's not fair on them.**


	13. Chapter 13

**A/N – Sorry for the delay in updating, but as I'm sure most of you know fanfiction had a major problem with e-mail alerts not being issued for new chapters. For those who may have missed it I did post chapter 12 last Tuesday, but this is the first update since then.**

 **I promised bonus updates and since I've missed 2 updates there will be a bonus chapter posted for the next 2 Wednesdays, to accompany the normal Tuesday and Thursday updates.**

 **Now we're back to normal, I hope everyone enjoys this chapter and what's still to come in this story.**

* * *

Narcissa quietly moved through the master bedroom that had once been hers. The room had changed little since Narcissa had last called it her room, but then she already knew that. Even though it had been over two years since she had lived at the manor and resided in the bedroom on a permanent basis, she'd still spent time in the room. Her role as Lucius's loyal wife had often led to her spending the night with her husband in their marital bed. Narcissa had never minded going to bed with Lucius at any of those times, as she'd still loved her husband, however the thought of sharing his bed now repulsed her.

Despite the arrangement they'd come to in the last few years, Narcissa had never stopped loving her husband. She'd always secretly hoped that once Voldemort was vanquished for good, she would get her husband back. The years where Voldemort had been gone had been the best of Narcissa's life, and she would give anything to go back to that uncomplicated time. Sadly, Voldemort's return had changed everything, including how involved Lucius was with the Death Eaters.

Narcissa had never kidded herself about Lucius's dark side, and if she was honest in the early days of their marriage, she'd found it rather appealing. He'd actually been a Death Eater when they'd married, but Voldemort had never really played a major part in their lives. Lucius's Death Eater activities had always been something that didn't encroach on the family. Even so, by the time Voldemort had vanished when Draco was just a child, Narcissa had been glad. She'd always feared that the longer Lucius was involved with Voldemort, the more he would be sucked into the darkness and it would seem her fears had finally come to pass. Since Voldemort's return, Lucius was in deeper than ever, and now the entire family were paying the price for his association with The Dark Lord.

Trying not to think about the tyrant that was staying in one of the guest rooms, Narcissa wandered into the bathroom and ran herself a bath to try and soothe her anxieties. As she sank into the large tub, filled to the brim with rose scented bubbles, Narcissa's mind turned to her granddaughter. It had killed her watching Lyra in so much pain earlier, and she just prayed that her little granddaughter was more settled now she was back with Hermione. She also hoped that Hermione was strong enough to cope with what was to come. Narcissa was in no doubt that dark times lay ahead for them all, especially Draco, and they would all need to be strong to survive.

Not that everyone had survived, and as she thought of the life lost, Narcissa began to cry. While she'd only really gotten to know Tonks over the last few months, she'd became very fond of her niece. It broke her heart to think that her beautiful, vibrant niece had lost her life protecting her and Lyra. It also broke her heart as she thought about what her sister would be going through. Despite being in touch with the Order and Tonks, Narcissa hadn't actually spoken to her sister. It had always been something that she'd planned on doing, but looking after Lyra had taken priority. Now she really wasn't sure if Andromeda would ever want to see her. For all she knew her sister blamed her and Draco for the death of her daughter.

Narcissa lay in the bath, quietly sobbing, until the water began to get cold. Wiping her tears away, she dunked herself under the water for a couple of seconds before getting out and getting dried. Finding an old pair of satin pyjamas in her drawers, she pulled them on and wrapped herself in a large woollen bathrobe.

Sitting herself down at the dressing table, she stared at her reflection, trying to recognise the haunted woman looking back at her. It seemed as though she'd aged several years in a few hours. Normally Narcissa would have used creams and make-up to get herself looking beautiful again, but quite frankly she had no desire to pamper herself. She didn't care if she looked depressed and downtrodden, after all that was exactly what she was.

Despite making no effort to sort her appearance, Narcissa remained sitting at her dressing table, staring into the mirror and wondering if they could have done anything different to avert the situation they found themselves in. She was still sitting in the same place when the door to the bedroom opened and Lucius entered. Even though she didn't turn around or acknowledge Lucius, she watched him through the mirror as he stripped off his clothes and wandered into the adjoining bathroom.

When he returned to the bedroom fifteen minutes later, with just a dark green towel wrapped around his waist, Narcissa had turned around so she was facing him. Normally Narcissa would have appreciated the sight of her half-naked husband. He may have been in his forties, but he was still in cracking shape, and Narcissa knew the goods that were hiding behind his towel could put most wizards to shame. However all she felt was revulsion as she watched Lucius slip on a pair of dark grey silk pyjama bottoms, leaving his pale, toned torso on full display.

"If you've got something to say, just say it," Lucius finally demanded, his grey eyes boring into Narcissa.

"How could you?" Narcissa asked in a quietly controlled voice as she elegantly got to her feet. "How could you just stand there and torture your son like that?"

"No-one laid a finger on Draco," Lucius retorted with a shrug.

"You know that is not what I mean," Narcissa said. "I was talking about Lyra. Your granddaughter."

"I have no granddaughter," Lucius snapped. "That filthy brat is no connection to me."

"Even you can't believe that, Lucius," Narcissa said with a cold laugh. "You may not approve, but Lyra is your granddaughter."

"Stop saying that," Lucius yelled, banging his hand down on the top of the chest of drawers he was standing behind. "That child is not a Malfoy, she's a stain. A filthy stain, I plan on removing."

"You would really kill an innocent child?" Narcissa asked, searching her husband's face for some sign the wizard she loved was still in there.

"I don't need to, The Dark Lord will do it for me," Lucius replied with a smirk.

"And you really think Draco will differentiate between the two of you?" Narcissa questioned with a shake of her head. She could now see that Lucius had been totally corrupted by the dark, and the chances of getting through to the humane side of her husband were slim. "It doesn't matter who deals the final blow, in his eyes, you're both to blame. You do this and you'll lose your son forever."

"No. I do this and I save my son," Lucius corrected.

"Save him from what? Love?" Narcissa scoffed. "Are you really so brainwashed that you can't see that your son is happy? Draco loves Hermione, and he loves Lyra. He will fight for them both, and he will never be what you want him to be Lucius."

"Yes Narcissa, he will," Lucius said in a low voice. "I think you're the naive one if you ever thought a mudblood would be allowed to taint the Malfoy name. I will get rid of the mudblood and her brat, and Draco will toe the line. Sure, he might be upset at first, but he'll get over it and when the time is right, he can marry a nice pureblood girl and have the son and heir the family needs to continue."

Narcissa shook her head sadly as she turned away from her husband. "What happened to you, Lucius? What sort of a man puts a wizard like Voldemort ahead of his own family?"

"I am doing this for my family," Lucius snarled, stalking around so he was standing back in front of Narcissa. "I've been weak and I let my love for you overrule my senses. I never should have let you take Draco, it was a mistake."

"And my mistake was not going far enough," Narcissa whispered. "I should have left completely. I should have taken Draco and left the country years ago."

"Yet you didn't," Lucius said with a smug smirk as he reached up and ran a finger down the side of Narcissa's face. "And do you know why you didn't? Because you still love me. You still want us to be a family."

"And what if I do?" Narcissa asked, reaching out and taking Lucius's hand that was on her face and wrapping it in her smaller one. It was a long shot, but she wasn't going to give up appealing to her husband's lighter side. "What if that is what I truly want, Lucius? What if all I want is for us to be a family again?"

"That can happen, Narcissa," Lucius whispered, sounding sincere. "Just stay strong and it will happen. You, me and Draco, we can be the family we once were."

"We can't if you destroy Draco's family," Narcissa replied. "If you carry on down this path, you're going to lose everything Lucius. Draco will never forgive you, and neither will I. If Lyra dies, you lose your family for good."

"It won't work Narcissa," Lucius spat, pulling out of his wife's grasp with such force she almost went stumbling into the bedside table. "My mind is made up. The mudblood and her brat are gone."

"Have it your way Lucius," Narcissa said as she regained her balance and stood up with her head held high. "But I can promise you this, you've lost your family today. Draco and I may be here physically, but our hearts aren't here. Our hearts are with the other two members of our family, Hermione and Lyra. They're our family, and our family is going to survive. Throw what you want our way, we'll survive it, and we will be reunited."

"Keep deluding yourself, Narcissa," Lucius shot back with a bitter laugh. "We've got the upper hand, and you and Draco will fall into line if you know what's good for you. You never know, maybe if you're good, I'll persuade The Dark Lord to let the mudblood and her brat live. Granted, you and Draco would never see them again, but they would survive."

Refusing to be sucked in by Lucius's hollow promises, Narcissa turned away from her husband and picking up her brush she began to brush her hair. If she thought Lucius was serious about letting Hermione and Lyra live, she might have begged for their lives, but she knew it was just another tease. The conversation with Lucius had revealed far more than her husband had meant it to. It had shown her that the man she loved had gone for good. There was no point appealing to Lucius's good side, because he no longer had one. He'd allowed himself to be corrupted by the darkness, and Narcissa knew there was no way back for him.

She and Draco were on their own, and the only way for them to survive was for Lucius not to. If their new family was to be reunited, her husband would have to be well and truly out of the picture. Even a few weeks ago, Narcissa would have been devastated at the thought of anything bad happening to Lucius, but now bad things couldn't come soon enough for her husband. He'd tipped his hand and shown just what sort of man he truly was, and Narcissa wanted nothing more to do with him. As far as she was concerned, her marriage was over, and her priority now was getting Draco through the tough times and back to his family. Her son was all that mattered, and Narcissa would do whatever it took to ensure that Draco would be reunited with Hermione and Lyra. Any other outcome just wasn't worth contemplating.


	14. Chapter 14

Hermione sat silently in the head dorms, far too shell-shocked to do anything other than just sit. Her friends clearly had a lot of questions, and had tried asking some, but she was in no mood to talk. Finally they got the message and backed off, instead choosing to sit and talk about poor Tonks and the fact she was gone. Hermione herself hadn't had a chance to process Tonks's death as she was far too worried about Draco, Lyra and Narcissa. Her boyfriend and daughter still hadn't returned, nor was there any sign of Narcissa, and she had no idea of she would see any of them again.

For a while the only sounds in the room was the quiet chatting of Hermione's friends. After ignoring Blaise and Theo for the majority of the time, the Gryffindor trio suddenly decided to talk to the Slytherin duo. Unfortunately, Harry and Ron thought the pair should leave and got rather insistent on the subject. However, Blaise and Theo made it clear they weren't budging. They'd promised to look after Hermione, and they weren't leaving until they knew what was going on and that Hermione was perfectly safe.

Hermione didn't get involved in the disagreement, but she did feel a small prickle of relief when Blaise and Theo refused to leave. It wasn't that she thought her friends wouldn't be there for her, as she knew they would be, but they wouldn't understand what she was going through with Draco. At least Blaise and Theo could understand her worries as Draco was their best friend and they cared about him.

As time ticked on, Hermione began to get increasingly anxious. Dumbledore kept wandering off to check on the rest of the Order, and he let her know that there was a few people who wanted to see her when she was ready. Madam Pomfrey tried to get Hermione to take a potion to help her rest as her anxiousness grew, but Hermione wasn't having any of it. She couldn't take a potion and relax when the two people she loved more than anything were in danger.

Finally after what seemed like an eternity, the door to the head dorms opened and Snape entered the room. Slung over his shoulder was Lyra's bag full of her stuff for when she was out and about, and nestled in his arms was the young baby.

"Lyra!" Hermione was on her feet and at Snape's side before he could shut the door behind him.

"She's okay Hermione," Snape reassured her as he handed the little girl over to her mother.

Tears flew down Hermione's cheeks as she cradled her daughter in her arms. For several minutes she just stood there holding onto Lyra. Eventually she looked up at Snape, her questions evident in her tear filled eyes.

"He's alive," Snape answered. "I should go and get Dumbledore, and we can all talk together."

"What about Narcissa?" Hermione asked. "Please say she's okay."

"She's fine," Snape replied. "She's at the manor with Draco."

"They're not coming back, are they?" Hermione whispered.

"Not for the foreseeable future," Snape answered, giving her a sympathetic smile. "I'll go and speak to Dumbledore, and when we return I'll tell you everything."

"Thank you," Hermione said, before taking Lyra's bag from Snape and heading back over to the sofa she'd been sitting on.

"Wow, she's beautiful," Ginny gasped as everyone stared at Lyra. Even though they knew she existed, it was just hitting them that Hermione had a baby.

"She looks just like Draco," Blaise said with a chuckle.

"She does," Hermione agreed as she gazed down at her daughter. "Don't worry Lyra, Daddy will be back."

"Would you like me to give her a check-up?" Madam Pomfrey asked.

"Yes, I'd appreciate that," Hermione replied. Giving Lyra another hug and a kiss she handed her over to the medi-witch.

Madam Pomfrey took Lyra over the other side of the room, as Hermione anxiously watched. Five minutes later, Madam Pomfrey handed Lyra back to her mother.

"She's fine," Madam Pomfrey replied. "I think she's a bit stressed with everything that's happened, and she's hungry, but other than that she's okay."

"I'll go and feed her," Hermione said as she got to her feet.

"If there's a bottle in her bag, I'll do it for you," Madam Pomfrey offered.

"I doubt Narcissa would have been planning on having her out long enough to need a bottle," Hermione replied. Even so, she checked the bag and found no sign of any of Lyra's bottles. "No bottle, so I'll have to feed her."

"Where are you going?" Ron asked as Hermione headed for the stairs. "Can't you feed her down here?"

"I would rather not," Hermione replied as she continued heading off upstairs.

"Why won't she just feed her down here?" Ron asked. "And how is she going to feed her without a bottle?"

"She's going to do it the natural way," Ginny told her brother, staring at him until it was clear he understood how Hermione was feeding her daughter.

"Oooh," Ron muttered, turning slightly red at the thought.

Hermione remained upstairs with Lyra for nearly fifteen minutes. As well as feeding her, Hermione took a while to just enjoy having her daughter back with her. If only Draco was with them, then things might be alright, but for the time being it was just the two of them. Steeling herself to find out just what had happened with Draco, Hermione settled Lyra in her arms and headed back downstairs.

When Hermione got back to the common room, Snape had returned with Dumbledore. McGonagall had also returned to the head dorms, and with them were Arthur and Molly Weasley. Molly instantly got to her feet and rushed over to Hermione. Pulling the younger witch into a half hug, Molly cooed over a drowsy Lyra in Hermione's arms.

"Would you like us to send an elf for Lyra's things?" Dumbledore asked. "We could then set up her cot so she can sleep."

"I'd like that, but for now we can just settle her down here," Hermione replied.

Summoning a couple of pillows from the bedroom, Hermione settled Lyra onto the sofa and surrounded her with pillows. She then settled down beside her daughter and prepared herself to hear what was happening with Draco. However, before Snape could get started, there was a popping sound and Tipsy appeared in the room.

"Tipsy," Hermione gasped. "What are you doing here?"

"Mistress Narcissa sent me," Tipsy answered. "She sent me to look after Little Miss Lyra."

"Are Draco and Narcissa okay?" Hermione asked.

"Master Draco said to tell you they love you," Tipsy replied. "I can go and see him every week, to pass messages."

"At least that's something," Dumbledore mused.

"Master Draco also said to tell you that someone told his father about Lyra," Tipsy added.

"A leak?" Severus questioned.

"Perhaps," Dumbledore mused. "I'll look into to."

"Good, but I want to know what's happened with Draco," Hermione insisted. "Tipsy you can go downstairs and meet the other elves. I'll call you when I need you."

Once Tipsy had disappeared, everyone's attention turned to Snape. Now it was time to find out what was going on with Draco.

"Draco's been forced to take the mark," Snape announced.

Despite expecting the news, Hermione felt a fresh wave of fear wash over her at the news that Draco was officially a Death Eater. Voldemort could make him do anything, and she knew that her boyfriend would do whatever it took to protect Lyra.

"That's not all though," Snape continued in a quiet voice. "He threatened Lyra so that Draco would obey him, but he's still got control over her. He's cast some sort of spell and tied it to one of her ribbons. If he tears the ribbon, Lyra will die. He demonstrated by scrunching the ribbon, and Lyra cried out in pain. He's using that to control Draco. He can't risk not doing exactly what Voldemort wants."

"No," Hermione cried, turning to where Lyra was sleeping peacefully beside her. "Please say he can't hurt my baby any more than he already has."

"I've heard of spells like those," Dumbledore said. "I'll check Lyra out and see if I can add some protection spells to her. Although, I will warn you that I wouldn't be able to totally counteract the spell until Voldemort is dead."

"But can you stop him from killing her?" Molly demanded.

"I'm sure I can," Dumbledore replied. "We'll look into it tonight. I promise I will do everything I can to protect your daughter, Hermione."

"And what about Draco?" Blaise asked. "We can't just leave him there."

"Actually, that's exactly what we have to do," Snape said. "Voldemort made it clear that any attempt to rescue Draco would result in him snapping the ribbon."

"So all we can do is work on defeating Voldemort," Dumbledore said. "If we do that, then Draco will be safe."

"I need that in writing," Hermione said, her mind clearing as she tried to make the best of the situation.

"I don't understand," Dumbledore said with a frown. "What do you want in writing?"

"I want you to ensure me that Draco won't be in trouble once this is all over," Hermione clarified. "We all know Voldemort is going to make Draco do terrible things. I will not have him convicted of being a criminal once this is over. Everyone here knows that he's only got the mark because he was protecting Lyra. I want some sort of agreement sorted, ensuring he won't be arrested once Voldemort is gone."

"I'll do my best, but I'm not sure I'm legally entitled to do that," Dumbledore replied.

"Your word counts for an awful lot in the wizarding world, one letter of recommendation will be enough to ensure Draco is treated fairly once this is over," Hermione argued. "Please Professor, you promised to help us, so help us."

"I'll do what I can," Dumbledore vowed. "I'll draw up a letter and ensure it's put somewhere safe in case anything happens to me. But I promise, if I'm still around when Voldemort is defeated, I will not let anything happen to Draco."

"Providing nothing's happened to him in the meantime," Theo muttered. "Do you know what The Dark Lord will want him to do?" He asked Snape.

"He didn't say, but the next few months won't be easy for him," Snape replied. "He'll have to do things that he'll never forget."

"He's just doing what's necessary to protect Lyra," Hermione said. "As tough as it will be, he'll manage it. Now what about Narcissa? What's the situation with her?"

"She's to stay at the manor from now on," Snape answered. "She'll be used as another way of controlling Draco. Like Draco, she'll be stuck there until we win the war."

A lengthy silence fell over the room, before Dumbledore broke it by summoning some parchment. Quickly he wrote what was essentially a pardon for Draco, and signed it with McGonagall signing as his witness. With that sorted, he turned his attention to Lyra and cast every protection spell on her that he knew. By the time he was finished he was satisfied that if the worst should happen and Voldemort was to try and kill Lyra, the little girl would fall into a deep sleep that they could wake her from upon Voldemort's death. He was also fairly sure that he'd all but alleviated any other side effects she might suffer from if Voldemort tried to hurt her.

"So what happens next?" Molly asked. "Surely things with Hermione and the baby have to change."

"I'm not leaving Lyra again," Hermione insisted. "We stay together."

"I think we have two choices," Dumbledore said. "Option one, Hermione and Lyra go into hiding somewhere and remain there until Voldemort is defeated."

"Then we're going with her," Blaise announced, glancing at Theo who nodded his head in agreement.

"What?" Ron questioned. "Why would you go with Hermione?"

"We promised Draco we'd look after her," Theo replied. "And we intend to take that promise seriously. From now on, Hermione and Lyra are our top priority."

"Thank you boys, I appreciate it," Hermione said, genuinely touched by the two Slytherins and the gesture they'd made. "But I don't want to take you away from your schooling. And to be honest, I'm not sure I want to go into hiding. I need to help make sure we defeat Voldemort. I can't just sit back and do nothing while Draco is stuck doing god knows what to protect out daughter."

"We also have option number two," Dumbledore said. "You stay here in school. Hogwarts is quite possibly the safest place you and Lyra could be. You would stay in the head dorms, and if you wished you could even carry on your schooling. I'm sure we can organise childcare between Madam Pomfrey, the house elves and the rest of the Order."

"I'd be more than willing to come up and help," Molly offered.

"And I'd help look after Lyra," Madam Pomfrey confirmed.

"See, you'd have a good support system," Dumbledore said. "True, it's not ideal to have Lyra in school, but it could be the best option."

"And that way you could still help us," Harry said. After destroying a Horcrux over Christmas they now just had something of Ravenclaw's to identify, locate and destroy before moving onto Nagini and Voldemort himself.

"People are going to talk," Hermione said with a sigh. "Lyra and I would be the source of all the gossip in school. I don't care what they say about me, but I won't have anyone insulting my daughter."

"Just you leave those people to us," Blaise said menacingly. "I promise you that no-one will say anything against you once we've made our position clear."

"Thank you," Hermione said, feeling overwhelmed by how supportive everyone was being. "I appreciate all the support everyone is giving us."

"So you want to stay?" Dumbledore checked with Hermione.

"Yes, I'd like to stay," Hermione replied.

"In that case, I'll have a few of the elves go and get your belongings from the house," Dumbledore said. "You can stay here for the rest of the day, and over the weekend we can sort a schedule for childcare."

"Thank you," Hermione said. "What'll be happening about Tonks? I'd like to go and see Remus, if I could."

"Sirius took Remus back to Headquarters," McGonagall answered. "That's where they took Tonks as well. Her parents have been informed and they're with her at the moment."

"I'll talk to Remus and see if he'll come and visit over the weekend," Dumbledore said. "And as for Tonks, I'm thinking her funeral will be next week. Don't worry, everyone who wants to attend will be allowed to go."

"If you need anything for Lyra, let me know," Madam Pomfrey said to Hermione as she got to her feet. "I'll be here in an instant if you need me."

After thanking Madam Pomfrey, Hermione turned to Molly and Arthur and thanked them for their support. Molly had already vowed to help as much as she could, and she reiterated that before her and Arthur left. When the Professors left, Dumbledore gave Harry, Ron, Ginny, Blaise and Theo permission to stay with Hermione for a bit longer, but he made it clear they were to leave when Hermione said so.

"I'm sorry I couldn't tell you guys the truth," Hermione said to her friends once everyone else had left. "We were hoping that the less people who knew, the less chance Voldemort had of finding out."

"We understand why you kept it a secret," Ginny reassured Hermione.

"But we would like to know the full story," Harry added. "Do you feel up for telling us what's being going on these last few years?"

Nodding her head, and glancing down at her sleeping daughter, Hermione began to explain to her friends and Draco's all about their romance, and the child they had together. As hard as it was talking about Draco and not knowing when or if she would see him again, Hermione also found it helped her to finally open up about what her life had been like for the last few years. Finally she could tell her friends the truth, and it felt like a great weight had been lifted from her shoulders.


	15. Chapter 15

**A/N – Here is the first of the promised bonus chapters. Thanks for all the reviews, and I hope you enjoy this chapter.**

* * *

Given the situation, Dumbledore felt he needed to mention what had happened with Draco to the entire school. Checking it was okay with Hermione, Dumbledore arranged for dinner to be taken earlier than normal that evening. Hermione herself wasn't present as she was still settling Lyra into the Head Dorms, not to mention she was coming to terms with everything herself. However, Hermione's friends and Draco's friends were present along with the rest of the students and all the staff, and Dumbledore was hoping they would ensure Hermione didn't face too much gossip when she was ready to get back to normal.

Without going into private details, Dumbledore informed everyone in the Great Hall what was going on. He confirmed that Draco and Hermione had a daughter together, and that Draco wouldn't be back at school for the foreseeable future. He explained that Voldemort had forced Draco into his services, but it was clear from the looks on a lot of the Slytherin faces that they didn't believe what he was saying. Obviously a lot of the Slytherins would prefer to believe that Draco had willingly joined Voldemort, rather than face up to the fact that The Dark Lord was a cruel, vindictive wizard who would do anything to get what he wanted.

Obviously Dumbledore's announcement led to widespread gossip, and throughout dinner Hermione, Draco and their secret love child was the main topic of conversation. Even at the Professors table, the situation was openly discussed as only Dumbledore, McGonagall, Snape and Madam Pomfrey had been aware of the situation. Dumbledore was pleased that the staff were all supportive of Hermione, and they all offered any assistance in helping her cope with motherhood and her education. He just hoped the rest of the school was as understanding.

Unfortunately, the students weren't anywhere near as understanding as the staff. Even those students who didn't think badly of Hermione and Draco, were unable to resist the chance of gossiping about the pair. But of course there was a decent portion of the school only too willing to snipe about the pair and call Hermione names for ending up pregnant at such a young age.

"She's such a tart," Pansy Parkinson announced loudly as dinner ended as the students began to file out of the Great Hall. "I mean, you have to be to get pregnant at such a young age."

"I bet it isn't even Draco's," Daphne Greengrass added with a sneer. "As if Draco would go near that Mudblood."

"Yeah, she's probably got some sort of love spell on him, and that's why his father's taken him out of school," Pansy agreed. "Lucius will be trying to free Draco from that slapper's clutches."

As the two girls continued to gossip nastily, they failed to see Blaise and Theo coming up behind them. However, they soon became aware of Draco's best friends behind them when Blaise grabbed hold of the pair and pulled them to standstill in the middle of the front hallway.

"What the hell are you doing?" Daphne demanded, pulling out of Blaise's grasp and rubbing at her arm where he'd grabbed her. Looking around she was unimpressed to find Blaise's little stunt had grabbed the attention of the fellow students, and everyone had stopped to find out what was going on with the Slytherins.

"We're giving you a warning," Blaise answered, before looking around at the gathered students and raising his voice. "In fact, we'll give everyone a warning. If we hear anyone talking badly about Hermione, Draco, or their daughter, they'll regret it."

"You can't seriously be sticking up for that tart?" Pansy spat.

"She is not a tart," Theo hissed menacingly. "Hermione and Draco are a couple, and they love each other very much. They just so happen to have had a child at a young age, but that doesn't make them bad people."

"They're our friends, and we will not stand by and listen to anyone slagging them off," Blaise declared. "Spread the word around so everyone knows, Hermione and Lyra are off limits. We will protect them, and we will not look kindly on those who badmouth them. Trust us, you don't want to mess with us."

Blaise and Theo spent a moment making sure everyone watching knew they were serious, before they turned back to Pansy and Daphne. Warning the pair that next time they heard them insulting Hermione that they would end up hexed, they let the pair go. As Daphne and Pansy scurried of to the dungeons, the rest of the students began to also break off and return to the dorms. As the crowds parted, Blaise and Theo spotted Harry, Ron and Ginny standing nearby watching events.

"Wow, you three kept quiet," Theo remarked.

"What were we supposed to say?" Ron questioned.

"I don't know, how about something to stick up for your best friend," Blaise retorted. "You were right there, you must have heard what people were saying. Did it never occur to you to make a statement like that?"

"Threatening people isn't going to help matters," Harry replied.

"We weren't threatening people, we were letting them know Hermione had some support," Theo said with a disgusted shake of his head. "We know we won't be able to completely stop the gossiping, but we're trying to ensure the worst of it doesn't reach Hermione. We're letting people know she isn't alone, you might want to do the same. Unless of course, you're not planning on being there for her."

"Of course we're going to be there for her," Ginny protested before Harry or Ron had a chance to reply. "She's our best friend."

"Then start acting like it," Blaise snapped. "She's going to need you, so why don't you try sticking up for her."

Not giving the Gryffindors a chance to respond, Blaise and Theo turned on their heels and hurried off up the stairs. Instead of heading down to the dungeons, they were going to pay Hermione one more visit just to make sure she was okay for the evening. They'd already decided that if needs be one, or even both of them, could stay in the head dorms with her.

As it turned out, Hermione didn't need either of them to stay with her. While she was quite happy for the pair to keep her company for a couple of hours before bedtime, she didn't want them to stay overnight.

"As long as you're sure," Blaise said to his best friend's girlfriend. "We could sleep down here if you don't want to be alone."

"I really appreciate the offer, but it's not necessary," Hermione said. "Lyra and I will be fine on our own."

"If you change your mind just call and we'll be here," Theo said, giving Hermione a smile.

Hermione smiled back at the pair, amazed by how much support she'd received from them over the last few hours. Sure, her friends had been there while everything was going on that afternoon and they'd listened while she'd explained about her relationship with Draco. However, they'd gone off to have dinner without really letting her know what they thought of her relationship with Draco, and she hadn't seen them since. Obviously it had never occurred to her friends to come back and check up on her.

"Can I ask the pair of you something?" Hermione asked, praying she wasn't going to offend the two Slytherins.

"Sure," Blaise replied.

"Why have you been so supportive? I mean, you were right there offering to go with me when Dumbledore mentioned going into hiding, and you've been nothing but kind ever since. What have I ever done to warrant such loyalty?"

"You love Draco, and more importantly he loves you," Blaise answered. "I can't speak for Theo, but Draco is the best friend I've ever had. Before starting Hogwarts my mother and I moved around a lot, so I never got the chance to really make friends. But then I started Hogwarts, and met Draco. Granted, we weren't overly close in first year but as he began to drop his father's ideals, we got closer. He's like a brother to me, and I'll do anything I can to ensure the witch he loves and his daughter is safe."

"It's pretty much the same for me," Theo said with a nod. "I've known Draco since I was small, and we've always been friends. But like Blaise said, things changed when he stopped believing all the bullshit Lucius fed him. I've never believed in all that pureblood stuff, and I was lucky enough to have a father that didn't ram it down my throat."

"Isn't your father a Death Eater?" Hermione interrupted.

"He is, but he's a low ranking one and he doesn't really believe in all that stuff anymore," Theo answered. "Unlike Lucius who always rued The Dark Lord disappearing all those years ago, my father celebrated it. It meant he was free, and I know he wasn't at all happy when he returned and he was forced to retake his position as one of his followers. All my father has ever wanted is for me to choose my own path in life. I've chosen a path that doesn't involved The Dark Lord and Dark Arts, and I was thrilled when Draco also chose that path. I know Draco had to keep his father sweet and act like he still believes in the same things as Lucius, but I know it's all an act. Draco doesn't want a life like that, and that's why I'm supporting you. I want to help Draco get the life he deserves, and you and Lyra are a massive part of that life."

"I don't know what to say," Hermione whispered, feeling tears welling in her eyes. "You two are amazing friends to Draco."

"Not just to Draco," Blaise said. "We're going to be good friends to you as well. We'll be right by your side throughout all this. Believe me, you don't have to handle this alone Hermione. Theo and I are here for you, whatever you need just ask and we'll do what we can to help. You're not alone."

Hermione smiled softly as she took in what Blaise was saying. In some strange way she felt closer to Draco knowing his two best friends were going to be at her side. The next few months would probably by the hardest of her life, but at least she wasn't going to be alone. Even if her friends didn't quite manage to support her the way she needed, she would have Blaise and Theo. The pair were going to be invaluable to her, she could already tell that.

* * *

 **::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::**

* * *

"She's a little livewire," Blaise chuckled, watching from the sofa as Hermione wrangled her daughter into a clean outfit.

Blaise and Theo had arrived at the head dorms early that morning, and they'd been with Hermione ever since. Dumbledore had popped in a few minutes earlier and informed Hermione rather than having the order visit her, she could go to them. He'd then gone off to let Harry and Ron know the offer was also extended to them, leaving Hermione to get Lyra ready to go out for the afternoon.

"She is," Hermione agreed.

To be honest she was surprised that Lyra hadn't crashed out already as her daughter had spent most of the night awake and crying. When she hadn't been able to calm her after a few hours, she'd called for Madam Pomfrey and the medi-witch had arrived to help her. Madam Pomfrey had assured her that Lyra was fine, she was just stressed with all the changes. Hermione also suspected her daughter was missing Draco and Narcissa, just like she was.

"Finally," Hermione announced with a relieved sigh, when she got Lyra settled in her new outfit and nestled in her carry chair. The only reason she'd changed her was because her daughter had been sick all down herself just moments earlier.

"You might want to go and change yourself," Theo suggested, pointing to Hermione's shoulder with a small grimace. "She got you."

Hermione looked down at the patch of baby sick on her shoulder and shook her head. Knowing she would have to go and change before Harry and Ron arrived and they headed off to see the Order, Hermione bent down to pick up her daughter again.

"Leave her with us," Blaise offered, before Hermione disturbed her daughter.

"Are you sure?" Hermione asked warily. It wasn't that she didn't trust Blaise and Theo, she was just wary of letting her daughter out of her sight given events of the previous day.

"We're sure," Blaise confirmed with a firm nod. "You'll only be two minutes, and you'll hear if she starts to cry."

"Which she won't," Theo added with confidence. "Trust us, she'll love spending time with her uncles."

"Okay Uncle Theo," Hermione said with a chuckle. "I'll be back as quick as I can."

Leaving Blaise and Theo to watch Lyra, Hermione headed upstairs to get changed. When she entered Draco's room she was suddenly catapulted back into worrying about her absent boyfriend. For a moment downstairs she'd been able to forget about Draco, but the second she was alone, he sprung right back to the front of her mind. Wondering what he was doing, and how he was coping, Hermione quickly changed her top and headed back downstairs.

Hermione arrived back in the common room just as there was a knock on the door. Quickly checking Blaise and Theo were fine with Lyra, Hermione went to answer the door. As expected, she opened the door to find Harry and Ron on the other side. Ginny was also with them, and as they entered Ginny explained that Dumbledore was allowing her to go with them as she'd also known Tonks and was grieving along with Harry and Ron.

"Dumbledore said he'd be here in a moment," Harry said.

"So we don't need you anymore," Ron added, glaring at the two Slytherins who were sitting on either side of Lyra in her carry chair.

"We're not going anywhere," Blaise replied. "In fact, we're hoping to go with Hermione."

"What?" Ron exploded. "But we're going to the Order. It may have escaped your attention, but neither of you are part of the Order."

"Not yet, but we could be," Theo said.

"You want to join the Order?" Hermione asked the pair in surprise.

"Yes," Blaise answered with a nod. "We spoke about it last night, and we want to help get rid of You-Know-Who. We want to help save Draco."

"Dumbledore will never allow it," Ron announced with an unimpressed snort at the very idea of Slytherins joining the Order.

Unfortunately for Ron he was wrong and when Dumbledore arrived at the head dorms, he agreed to let Blaise and Theo accompany Hermione, where he agreed to hear them out and make a decision on whether or not they could join the Order. Ron wasn't at all happy with the development, but there was nothing he could do as Dumbledore instructed everyone that they would be travelling to The Burrow, and from there they'd be heading to Order headquarters.

Using the floo connection in the head dorms, one by one the group headed to the Weasley house. When Hermione landed at The Burrow, she was immediately swept into a hug with Molly, who then turned her focus to Lyra. Allowing Molly to fuss over her daughter, Hermione lost herself in the gaggle of Weasleys, all of whom gave her a hug and offered her their support.

"Thanks guys," Hermione said, wiping away tears that threatened to fall as she was reminded how much support she had in the Weasleys.

"Think nothing of it," Molly said with a warm smile. "We love you Hermione, so of course we're going to support you."

"I still appreciate it," Hermione replied. "Now Draco and Narcissa aren't around, I've lost the people I've relied on the most these last few months. I do now have other people I can reply on," she added, giving Blaise and Theo a quick smile. "But I still want my family back."

"What about your parents?" Percy asked, earning himself a sharp elbow in the ribs from his mother who'd been informed of the situation with Hermione's parents. "Ow," he complained, glaring at his mother as he rubbed his side. "What was that for?"

"Don't pry, Percy," Molly ordered sternly.

"It's okay Molly, he wasn't to know," Hermione replied. "My parents disowned me when they found out I was pregnant and I refused to have a termination."

"Harsh," Fred remarked with a low whistle.

"Very," George agreed. "I'm sorry Hermione, it must have been terrible for you."

"It wasn't easy, but I had Draco and Narcissa," Hermione replied. "And don't forget, Remus and Tonks. How is Remus?"

"Not so good," Molly answered with a sigh. "To be honest, I think we're all still in shock."

"I understand that," Hermione said quietly as he looked at her daughter who'd fallen asleep in her chair. "I still can't believe what happened yesterday. But I would like to see Remus."

"Of course, let's move on to Grimmauld Place," Dumbledore said. "When we're there we can also discuss Blaise and Theo joining us."

Once again using the floor network, the group travelled to Order headquarters. Once at headquarters, Lyra was the centre of attention, and Hermione was overwhelmed by the support she received from the likes of Sirius. Trusting Molly with Lyra, Hermione headed off to speak to Remus while Blaise and Theo were settled in the kitchen to discuss joining the Order.

Hermione found Remus in a bedroom Sirius had directed her to. She hadn't been sure if he would be open to seeing her, but when he saw who was visiting him, he wrapped her in his arms.

"I'm so sorry, Remus," Hermione said quietly, feeling that the older wizard was sobbing quietly as they hugged.

"It's not your fault, Hermione," Remus replied, brushing away his tears as he let go of Hermione and sat down on the edge of the bed.

"But if she hadn't been protecting Lyra, she would still be with us," Hermione whispered.

"Don't think like that," Remus said sharply. "This isn't your fault, nor is it Draco's or Narcissa's. Tonks and I loved protecting you and Lyra, and what happened doesn't change that. The only people to blame here is Voldemort and Lucius."

"We'll get them, Remus," Hermione vowed. "I know we will."

"Yes we will," Remus agreed, grabbing hold of Hermione's hand and giving it a squeeze. "And we'll get Draco back, don't worry. He's strong, he'll cope until we can save him."

"I hope so," Hermione whispered.

She hated to think about how Draco would be suffering at Voldemort's hands and what he might be tasked with doing. She knew because of Lyra, her boyfriend was in a position where he wouldn't be able to refuse The Dark Lord. All she could hope was that whatever he was tasked with doing, it wouldn't be too terrible and it wouldn't have any lasting effects on him. She would hate for Draco to be broken by his experiences with Voldemort before they even had a chance to save him.


	16. Chapter 16

After grabbing a sandwich and giving Lyra her lunch, Hermione got ready for Tonks's funeral. Even though it was a Wednesday afternoon, Hermione, Harry, Ron and Ginny had all received permission to attend the funeral service. In one way Hermione was pleased to have an afternoon off from school, but she wished it was for a better reason than saying goodbye to someone who'd done so much for her over the past few months.

Even though she'd only been back at school for two and a half days, Hermione knew she was the subject of everyone's gossiping. No-one had said anything to her face about Draco or Lyra, but Hermione had quickly worked out that was because of Blaise and Theo. She wasn't sure what exactly had happened with the two Slytherins, but the whole school seemed to know that they would be taking them on if they messed with her. As a result she hadn't received any abuse, but everyone was still talking about her behind her back. Hermione was hoping the gossip would die down in time, but she knew it wouldn't happen right away. She would have to stick it out before things got better.

Not that she really thought things could get better until they were able to rescue Draco. When she wasn't attending lessons or dealing with Lyra, Hermione's mind was firmly on her boyfriend. She was beginning to drive herself mad wondering what he was going through, but unfortunately there was no way of finding out. Hermione didn't want to send Tipsy to the manor too often, and Severus couldn't really go and visit unless he was invited. So for the time being, they were in the dark about what Draco was going through and what Voldemort was making him do.

Suddenly deciding that she couldn't head off to Tonks's funeral without passing a message onto Draco, Hermione summoned Narcissa's elf. Since arriving at Hogwarts the elf had been there for Hermione whenever she needed her, and she felt it was helping Lyra having another familiar face around. Tipsy was actually due to watch Lyra along with Madam Pomfrey while Hermione attended the funeral that afternoon.

"I need you to do something for me Tipsy," Hermione said to the elf. "I want you to go to the manor and see if Draco's there. If he is I want you to tell him that Lyra and I are fine. Tell him we're okay, but we miss him and can't wait to see him again. And make sure he knows that we love him, no matter what."

"Yes, Mistress Hermione," Tipsy said with a nod before she disappeared with a small pop.

Finishing getting ready for the funeral, Hermione headed down to the common room where Madam Pomfrey was already settled for her afternoon of babysitting. Lyra was quite content in the medi-witch's arms, and Hermione felt a bit better about leaving her daughter. Even though Lyra obviously struggled at times with all the changes, Hermione was pleased that on a whole she was coping okay. Between Madam Pomfrey, Molly and a few of the Professors, Lyra was always looked after when Hermione was at lessons, and with each passing day the young girl was becoming more comfortable with her babysitters.

"Are you sure you'll be alright?" Hermione checked with the medi-witch.

"We'll be perfectly fine," Madam Pomfrey reassured her with a smile. "I'm quite an expert with children."

"Well, Tipsy will be back any minute now," Hermione said. "And Blaise and Theo might pop round to see Lyra."

"You've got two teenage boys checking up on me?" Madam Pomfrey questioned with a chuckle.

"It's Lyra they're coming to see," Hermione replied. "They check up on me all the time, but at the same time they're becoming increasingly fond of Lyra. They just want to make sure she's alright, plus they tell her stories about Draco."

"I have to admit, those two have surprised me," Madam Pomfrey confessed. "They've really stepped up for you and Lyra."

"They have," Hermione agreed with a small smile. "They've been amazing."

"It's good that you've got a solid support system," Madam Pomfrey said. "Between the boys and your friends, you've got it all covered."

Hermione smiled at the medi-witch, but she couldn't help feel that Madam Pomfrey was wrong. While she had Draco's friends to rely on, she wasn't so sure about her own. Harry, Ron and Ginny had actually being nothing but supportive for the last few days, but it wasn't quite the same as how Theo and Blaise had been there for her. She knew she could call on the two Slytherins any time day or night and they would be there for her, but she wasn't so sure about her friends. Her friends had never made any offers of support like Blaise and Theo, and apart from Ginny, they'd never really bothered to try and get to know Lyra. When they were confronted with her, Harry and Ron just looked at her as though she was some sort of strange creature. Whereas Blaise and Theo were always making a fuss of the little girl, and they were establishing a connection with Lyra.

Brushing aside her thoughts about her friends, Hermione gave Lyra a kiss goodbye and was just getting ready to head to Dumbledore's office when Tipsy reappeared. Tipsy relayed a quick message from Draco, telling her that he loved her and Lyra and that they would be a family once again. After getting some reassurance that Draco seemed to be coping, Hermione said another goodbye to her daughter before leaving the head dorms.

When Hermione reached Dumbledore's office, her friends were already present. Once Professor McGonagall arrived, Dumbledore explained that they were travelling to the funeral via portkey. Since so many of them were going from Hogwarts, it made more sense than using the floo network and taking an age to all arrive.

"We'll be landing in the village where Tonks's parents live," Dumbledore explained. "It's a wizarding village so no-one will raise any eyebrows at our sudden appearance. Are we all ready?"

Once everyone had confirmed they were ready, Dumbledore sat an old book on his desk and made sure everyone had hold of it. Once everyone had a firm grasp of the book, he tapped it with his wand and turned it into a portkey. Almost immediately it activated, and the group of four teenagers and two Professors were whisked away from Hogwarts and deposited in the middle of a wizarding village miles away.

"We're heading to that chapel over there," Dumbledore said, pointing up a nearby hill as everyone brushed themselves off following the journey.

Sombrely, the group headed towards the chapel Dumbledore had pointed out. As they neared the small chapel, they began to spot people congregating for the funeral. They easily spotted the Weasleys, who made a beeline towards them.

"Terrible day," Arthur said with a sigh as he shook hands with Dumbledore.

"It is," Dumbledore agreed.

As they headed towards the chapel, Hermione found herself nestled amongst the family of redheads. Just before they reached the chapel, they came across Remus standing staring out over the graveyard where Tonks would soon be buried. At his side was a big black dog, which was actually Sirius in his animagus form. Since Sirius was technically still a wanted criminal he couldn't attend as himself, but he'd clearly still wanted to be there for his best friend.

"Remus, come inside with us," Molly said gently.

Remus nodded, and he and Sirius fell into step with the rest of the Weasleys. Entering the chapel, the group took seats in the chapel. The chapel quickly filled up, and before long Tonks casket was carried into the chapel, followed by her grieving parents. Hermione had never met Tonks's parents before, but she was struck by how much like Bellatrix, Andromeda looked. While Narcissa was a statuesque blonde, and looked nothing like her eldest sister, Andromeda looked very much like her sister. Apart from the fact her hair was brunette rather than jet black, she was a ringer for Bellatrix.

Hermione's musings about Andromeda were soon interrupted when the minister conducting the funeral got to his feet and began proceedings. The Minister spoke movingly about Tonks, and it was clear he'd known her personally and was also grieving her loss. Apart from the minister, several other people spoke about Tonks and her life. One of her colleagues at the Ministry spoke about her work as an Auror, Dumbledore spoke about the difference she'd made to the Order, and a few of her friends spoke about her life in general. Every speech became more touching, and by the end of the ceremony, Hermione was openly crying alongside the majority of the congregation.

Things only continued to get more emotional when they moved to the graveyard and Tonks's casket was lowered into the ground. Andromeda let out a wail of despair, and she clung to her husband, Ted, as they buried their daughter. Standing over the other side of the grave, Hermione found herself holding onto Remus's hand as her vision clouded with tears. Beside her, Remus was sobbing quietly and once again Hermione felt so guilty about what had happened to Tonks. If she hadn't been guarding Lyra, she wouldn't have been killed and she would still be with them.

Consumed with grief and guilt, Hermione somehow made it through the rest of the funeral. However, once the burial was over she somehow found herself in front of Tonks's parents. She hadn't meant to speak to them, but she found she couldn't leave without saying something. She had to let them know how sorry she was for Tonks's death, and how much she missed her.

"I'm so sorry for your loss," Hermione said. "Tonks was an amazing person. You have no idea how much she helped me these last few months. She was an amazing support when I was pregnant, and she was brilliant with my daughter. I'm just sorry she was killed protecting her."

"Don't be," Andromeda said with a smile. "I didn't know what she was doing until a few days ago, but I do know she was proud of doing what she was. She was doing what was right, and she wouldn't want you to blame yourself. And we certainly don't blame you, Hermione. You're suffering as well, and we hope everything works out for you and your family."

"Thank you," Hermione replied softly.

Leaving Andromeda and Ted, Hermione checked Remus was okay before re-joining her friends so they could head back to school. While Dumbledore had allowed them to attend the funeral, he'd been adamant that they were to return to Hogwarts as soon as possible. Not that Hermione minded, she just wanted to get back to Lyra and spend the rest of the day snuggled up with her daughter.

While Dumbledore remained at the funeral, in order to attend the wake, McGonagall was in charge of taking the four teenagers back to Hogwarts. Once they'd said goodbye to the Weasleys, McGonagall reactivated the portkey and they all ended up back in Dumbledore's office.

"I expect you all in classes as normal tomorrow," McGonagall said to the foursome as they prepared to depart the office.

"Of course," Harry said with a nod.

"Are you coming back to Gryffindor Tower?" Ron asked Hermione as they trooped down the stairs leading from the headmaster's office.

"No, I want to get back to Lyra," Hermione replied. "But you can come back to the head dorms."

"That's okay," Ron said hastily, exchanging uneasy looks with Harry. "We really should go and change before dinner. We'll see you then."

"I don't know if I'll be at dinner," Hermione replied. Since Lyra had been at school, she'd only left her daughter to attend classes. She hadn't even done any Head Girl duties, although she and Dumbledore were due to have a talk on the subject in the next few days.

"We'll see you some time tonight," Harry said. "If you're not at dinner, we can come and see you afterwards."

"Okay," Hermione replied, even though she didn't expect to see her friends again tonight.

"Can I come back to the head dorms with you?" Ginny asked. "I'd love to see Lyra."

"Of course you can," Hermione replied with a genuine smile.

Leaving Harry and Ron to go back to Gryffindor Tower, Hermione and Ginny headed to the head dorms. When they arrived Madam Pomfrey reassured Hermione that Lyra had been just fine. Even so, the first thing Hermione did was gather her daughter in her arms and give her a big hug.

"Thank you ever so much," Hermione said to the medi-witch as she prepared to leave.

"You're welcome, Hermione," Madam Pomfrey replied with a smile. "Lyra's a joy to look after."

Once the med-witch was gone, Tipsy made Hermione and Ginny a cup of tea before the elf also headed off. Settling down together on the sofa, the two witches made a fuss of Lyra. Hermione was pleased to see the way Ginny was interacting with her daughter, and she hoped her attitude would start rubbing off on Harry and Ron. She wasn't sure how they were ever going to accept Lyra if they kept avoiding her and pretending as though she didn't exist.

Half an hour after they returned from the funeral, there was a knock on the door and when Hermione answered it, Blaise and Theo entered the room. Since classes had just ended for the day, they'd arrived to check on Hermione and see their favourite little girl.

"Wow," Ginny remarked in amazement as Theo and Blaise entered the room and immediately made a beeline for Lyra. "I've never seen teenage boys so comfortable with a baby."

"You should see Draco, he's a natural," Hermione said with a wistful sigh as she watched his best friends fuss over his daughter.

"He'll be okay, Hermione," Ginny said, putting an arm around her friend and giving her a hug. "Just you wait and see, everything will work out."

"I hope so," Hermione whispered as her mind wandered to Draco, and what awful things Voldemort was going to make him do.


	17. Chapter 17

Standing looking out of his bedroom window, Draco was yet again wondering what was going on with Hermione and Lyra. He trusted Blaise and Theo to look after them, but he couldn't help but think about the reaction of other people. He just hoped whatever was happening with them, they weren't being treated too harshly. Unfortunately Draco hadn't had a chance to ask Tipsy about them when she was here earlier that day as he'd heard his father approaching his room. He'd barely had time to give the elf a message to relay to Hermione before the elf had been forced to disappear before she was caught.

Just thinking about earlier in the day made Draco shudder and he turned away from the window. His father had been visiting his room to let him know The Dark Lord was ready for him. Finally, he would be facing his first task as a Death Eater in just a few short hours. Ever since he'd been summoned back to the manor, he'd been waiting for Voldemort to want him to do something, and with each day that had passed without anything happening, his nerves had just grown. By now he was a nervous wreck, and seriously dreading what the evening had in store for him.

In an attempt to take his mind off what would be happening soon, Draco headed into the bathroom to take a long, hot shower. Unfortunately the shower seemed to be over in a flash, and before Draco knew where he was at he was getting out of the shower and getting ready for the evening ahead. As his father had instructed him, he dressed all in black.

Staring at his reflection, Draco wished more than anything he could escape the manor, but he knew it was impossible. His father had altered the wards so that neither he nor his mother could leave the premises. He'd even locked the floo network so neither of them could use that. Then of course there was Draco's mark to consider. Even if he somehow did manage to escape from the manor, he couldn't escape from Voldemort. Lucius had made it very clear that now he had the mark, he was at The Dark Lord's mercy. Not only could Voldemort force him to do as he wished, he could track him down if he decided to run. Although Draco knew running wouldn't just result in his death, it would result in the death of Lyra, Hermione and Narcissa as well. Staying where he was and obeying Voldemort was all he could do, and he just had to hope that Dumbledore and the Order defeated Voldemort before he was forced to do something unforgivable.

Draco was suddenly dragged out of his thoughts by the sound of his wand emitting an alarm. Knowing it was time to face what lay ahead, he took a few moments to calm himself. Sliding the stoic Malfoy mask onto his features, Draco left his bedroom and headed down to his father's study. He found the door to Lucius's study open, and when he entered his father was already in his Death Eater robes, with his silver mask in his hands.

"You're on time," Lucius said with an approving nod. "Put those on."

Lucius pointed to a set of Death Eater robes hanging on the back of his office door. Without argument, Draco pulled the robes off the hanger and slipped them on over his normal clothes. When he was ready he turned back to his father, half expecting him to hand him a silver mask. However, his father did nothing of the sort. He merely slipped his own mask into his robes and grabbed hold of Draco's arm.

"Don't try and get away, or you'll know what will happen," Lucius warned in a cold voice before he apparated the pair of them out of the manor.

Draco was taken by surprise with the apparition, and when they landed he momentarily staggered on his feet. Luckily, he regained his balance quickly enough and he was able to look around at where they'd landed. From what Draco could decide, they were in someone's back garden. He could see a pretty nice house in front of them, and more houses at either side. However, there were things in the garden he didn't recognise and he had a suspicion they were in a muggle neighbourhood.

"Where are we?" He asked his father, speaking for the first time that evening.

"You'll see," Lucius replied, giving his son a smirk before he pulled out his mask and slid it over his face.

Draco inwardly shuddered at the sight of his father in his full Death Eater ensemble. He could understand why people were so afraid of the Death Eaters when they had robes and masks to hide their identities. It was scary to think that it could be anyone under the mask and robes, even someone you knew and trusted. After all, even though Draco knew he was standing with his father, with the mask and robes on it was impossible for him to be able to tell that unless, like now, he knew who he was with. At any other time, he could encounter his father in full Death Eater garb and not know it was him.

"Let's go," Lucius barked, turning Draco in the direction of the house.

Draco slowly made his way towards the house, and just before they reached the back door it swung open and Voldemort stood in front of them. Voldemort gave Lucius a small nod, before he turned his attention to Draco.

"How nice to see you again, Draco," Voldemort said with a smirk. "Come inside, I've got a surprise lined up for you."

With a horrible feeling settling in the pit of his stomach, Draco followed Voldemort into the house. Immediately he knew his earlier assumption was right, they were in a muggle neighbourhood. Or at least they were in a house which favoured muggle appliances if the kitchen was anything to go by. Voldemort led the way through the kitchen and into the front room, where the curtains were drawn and a couple were tied back to back on a couple of dining chairs.

With the dim light, Draco couldn't make out the couples features, but when Voldemort lit up his wand, he let out a gasp when he realised he knew who the couple were. Even though he'd only met them once, and they hadn't been very nice to him, he remembered the couple in front of him. He was staring at The Grangers, Hermione's parents.

"What is this?" Draco asked, looking between Voldemort and his father.

"They're muggles Draco," Lucius spat. "They're scum. But more importantly they spawned the girl who tried to sully our family name. We're going to show the mudblood that she doesn't belong in our world."

"Not we Lucius," Voldemort corrected. "Draco is going to do this himself."

"No," Draco said with a shake of his head. "I can't kill them."

"Torture will do just fine," Voldemort replied with a casual shrug as he pulled out Lyra's ribbon and held it in front of Draco. "Or do you want a reminder of what happens if you say no to me?"

"Don't," Draco cried, horrified at the thought of his daughter being hurt again. "I'll do what you want, just don't hurt my daughter."

"Your daughter will be perfectly safe if you do as I want," Voldemort said. "I want you to hurt them, Draco. Make them scream. Do it, or your daughter will suffer."

Keeping one eye on Voldemort and the ribbon he held in his hand, Draco slowly pulled out his wand and approached the Grangers. When he got closer to the couple, he could see they were stunned as well as being tied up. However, their eyes were open and it was clear they knew exactly what was going on. When Hermione's mother looked at him with pleading brown eyes so like her daughter's, Draco felt bile rising in his throat. Even though he had to protect his daughter, he didn't know if he could hurt Hermione's parents. It would be like hurting Hermione, and that was something he could never do.

"I'm not a patient man, Draco," Voldemort called, slightly tweaking the ribbon in his hands.

"Stop," Draco cried, hoping the ribbon hadn't been crumpled enough to cause Lyra pain. "I can do this." Turning back to the Grangers, he took a deep breath and tried to forget who he was dealing with. "I'm sorry," he whispered to them as he raised his wand. "Crucio."

The spell hit Hermione's mother first, and the cry she emitted caused Draco to waver slightly. The second the spell faltered, Voldemort cleared his throat and held onto the ribbon just a bit tighter. Focusing on keeping his daughter safe, Draco carried on with the spell. Hearing Hermione's mother crying out was torture in itself, but Draco didn't dare drop the spell under Voldemort ordered him to.

"Now the man," Voldemort ordered. "And this time, no weakness or I'll crush this ribbon into a ball."

Gulping at the pain such an action would cause Lyra, Draco turned his attention to Hermione's father. Following his wife's cries, and subsequent whimpers of pain that were still going on, Richard Granger had tears streaming down his face. Knowing he would be exactly the same if he'd had to watch Hermione suffer, Draco cast the same spell on her father. With Voldemort's warning ringing in his ears, Draco refused to let the spell drop in intensity, even when the cries of Hermione's father reached fever pitch. Finally, Voldemort told him he could stop, and Draco lowered his wand as he fought back the tears that threatened to fall from his eyes.

"Not bad," Voldemort said with a begrudging nod. "You have potential, Draco. You just need to stop letting your emotions get in the way."

Draco didn't say anything as he slid his wand back into his pocket and waited for the next move. What he didn't expect was his father and Voldemort to raise their wands and simultaneously begin to torture the couple. Instantly, Draco knew what they'd been through at his hands was nothing compared to the pain now wracking their bodies. When he tried to turn away, Voldemort immediately told him to watch, and fearing what he would do to his daughter, Draco reluctantly obeyed him.

Watching Hermione's parents getting tortured was almost as bad as having to do it himself, but Draco had no choice but to stand back and watch as the Grangers slowly lost consciousness due to the severity of the curses used on them. Once the pair were unconscious, and they were making no more noise, Lucius and Voldemort stopped their actions. Then, without even acknowledging Draco, the pair threw a killing curse each at the couple. Draco cried out in shock as two jets of green light hit the Grangers, ending their life.

"You killed them," Draco whispered, his mind immediately going to Hermione and how she would suffer when she found out what had happened to her parents.

"One day, you'll be doing that to the mudblood," Lucius snarled at his son as he turned back to him.

"No," Draco said forcefully. "I'm doing this to protect Hermione and Lyra. I will never hurt them."

"Never is a long time, Draco," Voldemort chuckled. "I know you think you love the mudblood now, but you're young. You'll learn that she doesn't belong in this world. If she'd stayed here, where she belonged, none of this would have happened. It's really her fault that her parents are dead."

"This is not Hermione's fault," Draco said in a hollow whisper. "It's mine."

"Ah, a martyr," Voldemort said, his voice laced with amusement. "You'll soon learn Draco. Lucius, did you bring it?"

"I did," Lucius answered.

Turning to his father, Draco was shocked to see him pulling his head boy badge from his pocket. Draco hadn't even noticed the badge was missing as he hadn't needed his uniform from the day he'd arrived at the manor. Just as he was about to ask what his father was doing with his badge, he got his answer when Lucius deliberately dropped it beside the dead couple.

"You bastard," he hissed at his father. "You're letting Hermione know I was here. You're taunting her."

"It's just a bit of fun, Draco," Lucius replied with a smirk. "She might not even believe you were here. She might think you're being set up."

Draco wanted to believe what his father was saying, but he didn't. Both he and Lucius knew that Hermione would understand the message. She would know he was present when her parents were killed, she just wouldn't know what exactly he'd partaken in. Draco just hoped that she remembered how much he loved her and why he was doing this.

"Let's go," Voldemort said, ushering Draco out of the room so he couldn't even try and pick up the badge from the floor.

Barely aware of what was happening, Draco found himself back in the back garden of the Grangers. Once they were outside, Voldemort raised his wand and cast the Dark Mark into the sky. Draco looked up at the horrifying symbol above the childhood home of his girlfriend as Lucius grabbed hold of his arm. Draco was still staring at the mark when he felt the pull of apparition and he was zoomed away from the Grangers and back to the manor.

"That was just a warm up," Voldemort told Draco as the trio landed in Lucius's office. "You're going to do so much more for me, Draco. But for now, you can leave. I have things to discuss with your father."

Not even bothering to say goodbye, Draco left his father's office and sprinted back to his bedroom. Tearing off his Death Eater robes, he threw them on the floor as he rushed straight through to the bathroom. Collapsing onto the floor beside the toilet, he barely made it before he lost the entire contents of his stomach. His body shaking with the violence of which he was being sick, Draco began to cry. When the sickness finally died down, he collapsed back against the cool tiled wall, tears running down his face as he thought about what he'd just done.

Sat on the bathroom floor, Draco broke down completely at the fact he'd just taken part in the murder of his girlfriend's parents. How would anything be the same again? How would Hermione ever forgive him?


	18. Chapter 18

**A/N – This is the second of the promised bonus chapters. I want to thank you all for reading and reviewing this story. I know a few people have said they're not sure if they can carry on with the story, or they might wait until it's finished to read it (presumably to see if it's going to have a happy ending, although I thought the answer would be obvious given my other stories). I have to say I completely understand, as this story is so very different from anything I've ever written before. It really is a heavy story which can get pretty dark in places, so I'm certainly not going to be offended if people decide this particular story isn't for them. I also just want to say I've just got two more chapters of this story to finish writing, and that will mean it will have 41 chapters in total.**

* * *

Hermione stood beside her daughter's crib, watching as the little girl slept soundly. Hermione just wished her own night had been peaceful, but she'd had the worst night's sleep since the first day Draco was forced back to the manor. Hermione's bad night had stemmed from events of the previous night, and she'd spent most of the night lying awake worrying about Draco.

After returning from Tonks's funeral, Hermione had invited Ginny, Blaise and Theo to have dinner with her in the head dorms. It had actually been quite a nice evening, given what was going on, when Lyra had started to cry and fuss. Hermione had known instantly that Lyra's crying wasn't her normal cry, and that something was wrong with her. Sending for Dumbledore and Madam Pomfrey, the pair confirmed that Lyra was irritable, due to the spell Voldemort had on her. Since Dumbledore had done all he could to make sure Lyra was merely uncomfortable rather than in severe pain, Hermione had been forced to sit watching as her little girl suffered. Of course, it also got her worrying about Draco and what Voldemort was forcing him to do using Lyra as a threat.

By the time Lyra had settled down and returned to normal, Hermione had been in bit of a state, and Blaise and Theo had insisted on staying the night in case she needed them. Hermione had been grateful to have the pair nearby as she knew they were just as worried about Draco as she was. However, she hadn't needed them during the night, she'd just lay awake worrying about Draco and what he'd been forced to do the previous evening.

Suddenly Hermione was dragged out of her thoughts by someone pounding on the door down in the common room. When Lyra began to stir at the noise, Hermione leaned over to soothe her daughter. Knowing Blaise or Theo would see who was at the door. Sure enough she heard the door opening, but it only increased the noise. Hermione could instantly hear Ron's angry voice, and although she couldn't make out what he was saying, she could tell he was yelling at either Blaise or Theo.

"Ssh, you stay asleep," Hermione whispered to her daughter as she calmed the sleeping baby back down.

Turning on Lyra's baby monitor, and grabbing the second half, Hermione slipped out of the bedroom. Heading downstairs to the common room, she found Ron and Harry facing off with Blaise and Theo. Ron was ranting about something, and Harry didn't seem too happy either, but Hermione didn't stop to find out what they were shouting about. All she cared about was the fact they were going to wake her daughter.

"Will you be quiet," she hissed angrily. "Lyra is asleep, and after last night she needs her rest."

Ron turned to Hermione, and she thought he was going to continue arguing, but instead his mouth dropped open slightly and he gave her a curious look. When Harry gave her the same look, Hermione glanced down wondering what was wrong. Almost immediately, she spotted what had given the pair such a shock. Needing to feel close to Draco the previous night, she'd pulled his Slytherin quidditch jersey on over a pair of pyjama bottoms.

"It's just a top," Theo muttered to the stunned Gryffindors. "No need to look as though Hermione's come downstairs topless."

"But it's a Slytherin top," Ron said with a grimace.

"I am not in the mood to argue about the fact I'm wearing Draco's quidditch jersey," Hermione snapped. "I've had a terrible night, which I'm assuming Ginny told you about when she headed back to Gryffindor Tower."

"She mentioned Lyra was a bit fussy," Harry said.

"It was a bit more than that," Hermione replied. She knew Ginny wouldn't have described Lyra as just being a bit fussy, as she'd witnessed just how stressed her little girl had been. "Voldemort was using the ribbon on her last night. He was forcing Draco to do something."

"That's what you think he was doing, you don't know for sure," Ron argued.

"Dumbledore seemed fairly sure," Theo pointed out. "Or don't you trust him?"

"Of course I trust Dumbledore," Ron said, his voice starting to rise again.

"Just stop it, all of you," Hermione interrupted, sensing Ron was going to start bickering again. "I don't know what the problem is, but I don't appreciate you shouting and waking Lyra up."

"Sorry," Harry apologised. "We just came to see if Ginny was right. She said Nott and Zabini were staying overnight."

"So why the shouting?" Hermione questioned.

"Weasley wasn't happy when he saw it was true," Blaise explained. "He started having a go at us as soon as we opened the door."

"Why?" Hermione asked Ron. "What does it matter if Blaise and Theo stayed over?"

"We're your best friends, we should be the ones staying with you," Ron argued with a pout.

"You weren't here," Hermione pointed out. "Blaise and Theo were, and they wanted to stay to make sure Lyra and I were okay."

"I just bet they did," Ron muttered, glaring at the Slytherins. "And which one of them is going to make a move on you first?"

"Just what are you suggesting?" Hermione demanded with a snarl. "I love Draco, and both Blaise and Theo respect that."

"Yeah, we would never make a move on our best friend's girl," Blaise agreed. "You shouldn't judge everyone by your own low standards, Weasley."

"I just know what scumbags you Slytherins are," Ron shot back. "You're after something with Hermione, I just know you are. Although judging by the fact she's already been knocked up, you might just get it."

"Ron," Harry gasped in shock.

"Get out," Hermione hissed, just as Blaise balled his hand into a fist and sent it into Ron's face.

As Ron went down with a loud yell, Lyra began to cry from upstairs. Making it clear she wanted Ron gone before she came back, Hermione went off to see to her daughter. Not trusting herself to go back downstairs where Ron might still be hanging around, Hermione remained upstairs for a while, getting both herself and Lyra ready for the day ahead. By the time she returned to the common room, nearly twenty minutes later, both Harry and Ron had gone.

"Sorry about that," Blaise apologised as Hermione settled herself on the sofa. "I just couldn't let Weasley get away with what he was insinuating."

"Ron deserved what he got," Hermione said. "Hopefully a black eye will make him think twice before he says anything like that again."

"Do you want breakfast?" Theo asked, deciding it was best to change the subject away from Weasley. "I can grab some cereal, or I can call for an elf."

"Cereal's fine," Hermione replied.

While Blaise and Theo sorted breakfast, Hermione just sat on the sofa with Lyra. Even though she knew Molly would be turning up to look after Lyra that day, she was still dreading leaving her. After the previous evening, she wasn't sure she wanted to be separated from Lyra again. What if Voldemort hurt her again, and she wasn't there to comfort her daughter?

Hermione was still having serious second thoughts about leaving Lyra to attend classes when there was a knock on the door. Figuring it was just Molly arriving early, Hermione got up to answer the door. It was Molly at the door, along with Dumbledore. Hermione initially wondered if Dumbledore had come to discuss the head student situation, but when he and Molly entered the room she could see something was bothering the pair.

"What's wrong?" She asked nervously, wondering if they had more news about what had happened to Draco the previous evening.

"Let's sit down, Hermione," Molly said gently as she led Hermione back over to the sofa.

As Molly sat Hermione down and took Lyra into her own arms, Blaise and Theo came in from the small kitchen alcove to see what was going on. Settling down beside Hermione, the pair turned to Dumbledore who was standing in front of the fire looking grave.

"What's going on?" Blaise asked. "Is it Draco? Is he okay?"

"I honestly have no idea," Dumbledore admitted. "I'm here to give Hermione some bad news. Last night I got a message from the Ministry. The Dark Mark was spotted."

"That's what they were doing to Draco," Hermione gasped. "They were forcing him to take part in something. What was he taking part in?"

"In the house under the Dark Mark, a couple were found," Dumbledore explained. "They'd been tortured and killed. I'm so sorry Hermione, but it was your parents."

Hermione let out a choked sob at the revelation, and Blaise wrapped his arm around her as tears began to slowly fall from her eyes.

"Was Draco there?" Theo asked. He knew whatever his friend had done it had been under duress, but he wasn't sure if that would make it any easier for Hermione.

Dumbledore nodded sadly as he pulled something from his robes and passed it over to Theo. "We found this at the scene."

Theo looked down at the small object in his hand, before passing it to Hermione. Hermione took the familiar head boy badge in her hand as the sobs tore through her body. Even though she'd known Draco was doing something for Voldemort the previous evening, she'd never thought it would be something that would affect her. Although she had to hand it to Voldemort, picking something that would undoubtedly have torn Draco to pieces.

"He was forced into it," Blaise whispered. "He never would have willingly hurt Hermione's parents."

"Of course he wouldn't," Hermione agreed through her tears. "We all saw what Lyra was going through last night. Voldemort was using her to get Draco to do what he wanted."

"What exactly do you think he made Draco do?" Theo questioned.

"Let's not speculate," Molly said with a slight shake of her head. "We all know the situation with Draco. But the important thing now, is supporting Hermione as she grieves for her parents."

"And we will," Blaise said, pulling Hermione closer to him as she continued to cry softly. "We're not leaving her side all day."

"I'm sure there's no need for that," Molly said. "I can stay with Hermione. Plus the pair of you have classes to go through."

Despite Molly's protests, Blaise and Theo were adamant that they wanted to be there for Hermione. Eventually a compromise was reached, and it was decided they would alternate classes for the day. That way one of them would be in every lesson, and they would have notes for the other one and Hermione. Not that school was top of Hermione's priorities right at the moment. Between what was happening with Draco, and now her parents, keeping up with her schoolwork seemed completely insignificant.

"I think I'm going to go and lie down," Hermione said quietly as she pulled away from Blaise.

"Don't worry about Lyra, she's perfectly fine with me," Molly said, giving Hermione a smile.

Hermione nodded, and pressing a kiss to her daughter's head, she headed back up to Draco's bedroom. Pulling off her school shirt and skirt, she slipped her pyjama bottoms and Draco's quidditch top back on and curled up on the bed. Taking comfort in Draco's lingering scent on the top, Hermione began to cry as she took in that her parents were dead. She would never see them again, and they would never get the chance to see if they could fix the chasm that had grown between them.

Eventually, Hermione drifted off to sleep, and when she woke up her face was stained with tears. Grabbing a quick wash, Hermione headed downstairs to check on Lyra. She found her daughter quite happily playing on the sofa with Blaise, while Molly sat nearby watching them as she knitted a cardigan for the little girl.

"How are you feeling?" Molly asked, jumping up when she saw Hermione.

"Numb," Hermione replied. She still couldn't quite get her head around the fact her parents were gone, and Draco had been forced to play some part in what had happened to them.

"I'll make you a nice cup of tea," Molly offered.

Giving Hermione's hand a quick squeeze as she passed, Molly headed into the kitchen alcove. Walking over to the sofa, Hermione sat down next to Blaise, and gave her daughter a quick kiss.

"Thank you for helping look after her," she said.

"It's a pleasure," Blaise replied with a smile. "I just wish her Daddy was here."

"So do I," Hermione whispered as she leaned her head against Blaise's shoulder. "I miss him Blaise, and I'm terrified about what he's been forced to do. He must be devastated after last night."

"The pair of you are just going to have to be tough," Blaise said softly. "I know it's hard, but you're both doing all you can to protect Lyra. And at least Dumbledore has ensured that You-Know-Who can't kill her."

With a gasp, Hermione suddenly sat up. "Draco doesn't know. He doesn't know Dumbledore's got her protected. He needs to know that she wasn't badly hurt last night. He also needs to know that if Voldemort snaps the ribbon, she won't die."

"How are you going to pass all this onto him?" Blaise asked. "Narcissa's elf can only make brief visits to the manor."

"I'm going to write him a letter," Hermione decided as she jumped up and grabbed her bag. "I can give it to Tipsy, and she can remind Draco to destroy it. He needs to know there's hope, even if the worst should happen."

By the time Molly returned with the tea, Hermione was in the middle of writing a heartfelt letter to Draco. As well as explaining things with Lyra, she made it clear to her boyfriend that no matter what he'd done the previous evening, she understood. She wasn't blaming him for what happened to her parents, she knew he'd been put in an impossible situation, and he'd done what any parent would do and put his daughter before anything else.

When the letter was finished, Hermione summoned Tipsy and handed it to her. She made sure the elf knew to remind Draco that he needed to destroy the letter once he'd read it, before letting her go. Feeling a bit better now she'd been able to let Draco know she and Lyra were okay, Hermione settled down with her cup of tea.

As she was finishing the cup of tea, there was a knock on the door and when Blaise answered it, Theo entered the room. Checking the clock, Hermione found it was lunchtime. However. Before she could check what the boys were doing for lunch there was a second knock on the door and Theo warned her it would be Harry and Ron. The pair had been asking questions all morning about why she wasn't in lessons, and all they'd been told was that her parents were dead.

When Hermione answered the door, she found Ginny was with the two boys. Ginny immediately gave Hermione a hug as she told her how sorry she was for her loss. Harry and Ron also offered their condolences, although Ron was wise enough not to try and hug her after that morning.

"Ronald," Molly gasped when she set eyes on her son and spotted the bruise around his right eye. "What happened to your eye?"

"Ask Zabini, he was the one who punched me," Ron replied, glaring at the Slytherin.

"For insinuating Hermione was a tart and would hop into bed with either Theo or myself," Blaise retorted. "I'm sorry Mrs Weasley, I know he's your son, but I would do it again if he spoke to Hermione like that."

"Ron, tell me you didn't say such a thing," Molly demanded of her youngest son.

Ron opened his mouth to deny Blaise's claims, but when everyone glared at him he realised that his lie would be exposed. "I didn't mean it," he said with a slight shrug. "I was annoyed and it just came out."

"Well if anything like that ever comes out of your mouth again, I'll be the one to give you a black eye," Molly warned her son. "And I hope you gave Hermione a sincere apogee."

"I'm sorry Hermione," Ron said, turning to his friend. "I didn't mean to imply you were a tart."

"Let's forget about it," Hermione said tightly. With everything that was happening, dealing with Ron was the least of her worries.

"What happened to your parents?" Harry asked Hermione, deciding it was best to get to the reason they were visiting their friend in the middle of the day. "Was it an accident?"

Not sure she could bear to explain what had happened, Hermione turned to Molly. Luckily Molly understood what she was silently asking, and the older woman explained the situation to the three teenagers. Harry and Ginny were both horrified by what had happened, and they both gave Hermione another hug. However, on the other hand, Ron just looked angry.

"Please tell me you're not still defending him," he spat.

"Who?" Hermione frowned in confusion.

"Bloody Malfoy," Ron yelled. "You can't still defend him after this. He killed your parents, Hermione. He wants locking up, with the rest of the Death Eaters."

"Firstly, we don't know what he was forced to do," Hermione retorted. "And secondly, whatever he did do was because Voldemort was threatening the life of our daughter. In his shoes, I would do anything to protect our child."

"As would any parent," Molly added in support of Hermione. "I know you mean well Ron, but you just don't understand. You have no idea what it's like to have children, and what you would do to keep them safe. We can't blame Draco for anything he's forced to do."

"You're all pathetic if you believe that," Ron spat. "He has options."

"What options?" Blaise snorted. "If he refuses to co-operate with You-Know-Who, he'll be killed."

"And there's his option," Ron replied calmly. "He should sacrifice himself for his daughter. If he truly loved Hermione and Lyra, he would willingly die to ensure they didn't suffer anymore. He wouldn't have hurt Hermione by killing her parents."

"Sacrificing himself is not an option," Hermione hissed angrily. "Losing Draco will hurt Lyra and I far more than anything Voldemort can make him do. We need him to survive."

"Even if it means losing your parents?" Ron questioned. "You're happier they're dead, than if he was dead?"

Hermione just looked at Ron, not sure how she could answer the question. Of course she was devastated her parents were dead, but part of her thought that maybe Ron was right. Losing her parents, especially given how things had been between them for the last year, was easier than losing Draco. As horrible as it sounded, if she'd had to pick, she would have sacrificed her parents for Draco. She and Lyra needed Draco, and wasn't giving up on being reunited with him when all this was over and they defeated Voldemort.

"And that tells me all I need to know," Ron sneered. "I'm sorry Hermione, but I can't support this anymore. Malfoy is a Death Eater, and I'm going to do everything I can to make sure he gets what he deserves."

Much to everyone's surprise, Ron then turned and stalked out of the room. For several minutes no-one said anything as they digested what had just happened. Even Molly seemed flabbergasted by her youngest son's outburst.

"You do know no-one else agrees with him, don't you?" Ginny finally checked. "We all understand what Draco is going through."

"Of course we do," Molly agreed. "And don't worry about Ron, he'll come round. He just needs to accept that Draco is being forced into acting for the dark. Once he's accepted that, he'll be fine. I'll make sure of it. And don't worry about a repeat of this morning, because that won't happen again either. Ron will be nothing but supportive from now on."

Hermione nodded, but she wasn't sure that Molly was right. She really didn't think that Ron would come round and accept things. However, that wasn't her priority right now. She had far bigger problems than whether or not Ron accepted the way things were with Draco. She had her daughter and boyfriend to think about, and right now for Hermione, there was nothing more important to her than the wellbeing of Lyra and Draco.


	19. Chapter 19

Sitting opposite her husband, Narcissa picked at her breakfast, her mind firmly on her son. The previous day, Lucius had arrived home from work in the middle of the day and had immediately gone to speak to Draco. Narcissa had known something was going on when her husband had then told her she would be dining alone, and that he and Draco were heading out. Narcissa still had no idea what had happened the previous night and Lucius wouldn't say anything about their activities. However, whatever had been going on had put him in a good mood, and for the first time since being back at the manor Narcissa had been expected to perform her wifely duties in the bedroom.

Even with their separation in recent years, Narcissa had never being opposed to going to bed with Lucius, and it was something that had happened fairly often. Despite everything, he was still her husband and she'd still loved him. However, her love had died the day he'd stood back and let Voldemort torture their granddaughter and brand their son with the Dark Mark. Her attempts to talk some sense to him that night had just proved that she'd lost him forever and now she hated him with a passion. As for sex, it was just something she was going to have to put up with until Dumbledore defeated Voldemort and she and Draco would once again be free of Lucius.

"We'll be having dinner early tonight," Lucius suddenly announced, dragging Narcissa from her thoughts. "And it want it to be something special, not just a drab meal thrown together in a few hours."

"I'll inform the elves," Narcissa replied.

"Make sure Draco knows," Lucius said, glancing at his son's empty chair with a slight scowl. "I expect him at dinner tonight. Then after dinner, we have a meeting so you can make yourself scarce."

"Fine." Narcissa nodded once, knowing the meeting Lucius was referring to was a Death Eater meeting.

Voldemort was still in residence at the manor, although Narcissa had seen very little of him since she'd been back. Although that was partly because she spent the majority of her time in her rooms upstairs, or with Draco. The only reason she even ate with Lucius was because he insisted on it. Luckily Voldemort hadn't joined them for any meals, but Narcissa suspected it was only a matter of time before he did so.

"And The Dark Lord and Bellatrix will be joining us for dinner," Lucius added as he got to his feet. "So needless to say, I expect both you and Draco on your best behaviour."

"Of course," Narcissa replied softly.

"I mean it Cissa," Lucius growled, stalking over to his wife and leaning down so he was directly in front of her face. "You and Draco have already embarrassed me more than enough. If either of you steps out of line again, you'll regret it. Do I make myself clear?"

"Yes Lucius," Narcissa answered, refusing to back down and show just how intimidated she was by her husband.

"Good girl," Lucius replied condescendingly, as he pecked her on the cheek like a good husband and straightened back up. "I'll see you this evening, Narcissa."

"Have a good day at work," Narcissa offered, like the dutiful wife she wasn't.

"I always do," Lucius shot back, before he strode out of the room.

Despite wanting to see Draco and check he was okay, Narcissa decided it was best to deal with dinner arrangements first. Lucius had made it clear he wanted something special, which would mean giving the elves all day to prepare. It also meant she would have to spend a while preparing a menu that would be suitably impressive for her husband. She knew she couldn't leave everything up to the elves, as Lucius would not be impressed if he arrived home to find she had no idea what dinner was going to be.

Leaving the dining room, and settling in one of the living rooms, Narcissa spent the next half hour creating a decadent three course menu. When she'd settled on a menu, she sent for one of the elves and handed it over, along with instructions that dinner was to be served earlier than normal. Knowing the elves would ensure everything was sorted for dinner, Narcissa finally headed off upstairs to find her son.

When Narcissa knocked on Draco's door she got no answer, but knowing he wasn't likely to be anywhere else, she pushed the door open and poked her head inside the room. At first she thought Draco wasn't in the room as his bed was neatly made, and he wasn't sitting on the sofa in the corner beside the fire. Just as she was about to withdraw from the room, Narcissa suddenly spotted her son over the far side of the room. Draco was sitting on the floor, his back pressed against the wall with his arms wrapped around his legs and his head lowered.

"Draco," Narcissa tentatively called as she entered the room and approached her son.

When she got no response, Narcissa placed a gentle hand on her son's back. Slowly he raised his head, and Narcissa gasped at the sight of him. His face was deathly white, and his eyes rimmed red as though he'd been crying for hours. In fact Narcissa could still see traces of tears on her son's face.

"What happened?" She asked, sliding elegantly to the floor, and wrapping her arms around her son. Normally she wouldn't dream of sitting on the floor, but her son was in distress and that was more important that possibly getting her skirt dirty.

"It was horrible," Draco whispered in a broken voice as he leaned into Narcissa.

"What did they make you do?" Narcissa asked quietly. Part of her didn't want to know what terrible things her son had been forced to do, but she knew she could only really support Draco if she knew the full story.

"Torture," Draco replied in a low voice. "They made me torture Hermione's parents, and then they killed them. She's never going to forgive me for this, Mum. I've lost her."

As he spoke, Draco got more emotional, and his last words were delivered with a loud sob. Holding on tighter to her son, Narcissa hugged him to her as he cried. If she hadn't hated Lucius before, she certainly would have now. She couldn't believe he would be so cruel as to force Draco to participate in the torture and murder of the parents of the witch he had a child with. Lucius really was a monster, and she now knew there was no way back for him.

"Hermione will understand," Narcissa said soothingly as she stroked Draco's hair.

"How can she understand?" Draco questioned as he looked up at his mother. "I tortured her parents. I stood there and watched as they were killed, and I did nothing."

"You weren't doing nothing, you were protecting your daughter," Narcissa argued. "We all know if you'd tried to save the Grangers, you would have been condemning Lyra. Hermione will understand you had no choice. Lyra comes first, she knows that. And I promise you, as a mother, your children come before everything else. I'm not saying she won't be devastated by the loss of her parents, but it's better than her losing her daughter."

"I just didn't expect this," Draco admitted as he swiped away his tears and sat up straighter. "I knew they would make me do terrible things, but I didn't think they would do something to hurt Hermione. Even if Dumbledore and Potter defeat Voldemort, I now have to live with the knowledge I hurt Hermione. How will things ever be the same between us now? Even if she loves me, how can she forgive me for doing that to her parents?"

"Put yourself in her position," Narcissa suggested. "If Hermione was being forced into doing terrible things to save Lyra, would you hate her if she was involved in something happening to me? Just remember that if she didn't do as she was told, Lyra would die. Could you not forgive that?"

Draco was silent as he thought about what Narcissa was saying. He knew she was making sense, and if the positions were revered nothing Hermione could do would make him hate her. However, that didn't help alleviate his guilt. He doubted anything would ever make him feel anything other than deeply ashamed of what had happened the previous evening. Even knowing he was doing what he'd done to save his daughter's life, didn't help. He'd still done a terrible thing, and nothing could ever change that.

"Don't be too hard on yourself, Draco," Narcissa said. "None of this is your fault."

"Maybe it is," Draco whispered. "I shouldn't have gotten involved with Hermione. I should have protected her and stayed away from her once Voldemort came back. I knew it was dangerous for us to be together, but I didn't care. I wanted to be with her, and I didn't think through the consequences."

"Don't regret falling in love, Draco," Narcissa urged her son. "Don't let this experience sour what you and Hermione have. You're perfect together, and one day you're going to be back with her and Lyra and you're going to have an amazing life together."

"Do you really believe that?" Draco asked, turning his head to face his mother.

Narcissa nodded as she gave her son a small smile. "I do. It's what gets me through the day, knowing our situation is just a blip. The light will prevail, and we will be free again. I know in my heart that you're going to be reunited with Hermione and Lyra, and you're going to watch your little girl grow up into an amazing young witch. I just know everything's going to work out."

"I wish I had your faith," Draco said with a sigh, as he once again rested his head on his mother's shoulder. With events of the previous night, it was hard to believe that his life could ever go back to been as good as it once was.

Narcissa pressed a light kiss to the top of her son's head as they sat quietly on the floor. The pair remained on the floor for another half hour, before Narcissa began to get uncomfortable. Getting to his feet, Draco helped his mother up, before heading into the bathroom to wash his face. Just as he was emerging from the bathroom, Tipsy appeared in the centre of the room.

"Tipsy," he exclaimed, rushing over to the elf. "Is everything okay? Is Lyra alright?"

"Little Miss Lyra is fine," Tipsy reassured him. "I've got a letter from Mistress Hermione. She said to remind you to destroy it afterwards so no-one finds it. She also said that she loves you, and that she and Little Miss Lyra are okay. Mr Blaise and Mr Theo are looking after them."

Draco felt a wave of relief wash over him at the revelation that Blaise and Theo were at Hermione's side, looking after her and Lyra. Taking the letter from Tipsy, he told the elf to pass on his love before she disappeared again and headed back to Hogwarts. Looking at the letter in his hand, Draco wondered why they hadn't thought of writing to each other sooner. It seemed easier than passing on quick messages via Tipsy, since the elf couldn't stay in the manor for more than a few minutes without being detected.

Joining his mother on the sofa in the corner of the room, Draco tore into the letter. Not believing what he was reading, he read it a second and a third time before it began to sink in that Dumbledore had protected Lyra the best way he could. Feeling a sense of relief sweeping over him, he handed the letter to his mother.

"Oh my," Narcissa gasped as she read the letter. "I suppose this is some sort of relief."

"It is," Draco agreed. "But I still don't intend to let Voldemort use that ribbon to hurt Lyra. And I certainly don't plan on letting him snap it."

"But at least we have hope if he just snaps and decides to do something terrible by tearing the ribbon out of spite," Narcissa pointed out.

"We have hope, but we can't let anyone else know that," Draco said as he carried the letter into the bathroom and put it in the sink. Using magic, he burnt the letter and flushed the charred remains down the toilet, before returning to his mother. "We have to make sure no-one realises that Lyra is protected."

"Don't worry Draco, we can manage that," Narcissa reassured her son. "Besides, even with Dumbledore's protection spells, Lyra still isn't completely safe. She might not be in as much pain, but she still feels discomfort. And if the worst happens, she won't die, but she'll be stuck in an endless sleep until we can defeat Voldemort. I don't think either of us will have to do any acting to convey how worried we are about Lyra."

"No, we won't," Draco agreed. "I just wish I could see her. I miss her so much."

"So do I," Narcissa replied, pulling Draco into a hug as he sat down beside her.

* * *

 **::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::**

* * *

Dinner wasn't exactly an enjoyable affair for Draco and Narcissa, but what followed next was even worse for Draco. After dinner, Narcissa had been banished to her rooms, while Draco prepared to attend his first Death Eater meeting. He didn't know what the meeting would involve, but he wasn't exactly looking forward to it.

Much to Draco's displeasure, Lucius insisted he was at his side as the Death Eaters began to arrive for the meeting. As the men filed into the large ballroom, which Lucius had arranged for the meeting, Draco could hear the comments and feel the looks he was receiving as he stood at his father's side. When everyone had arrived, Lucius made Draco enter the room at his side, and he deposited him in a chair near the bottom of the table, before he carried on to take his own place at the top of the table with Bellatrix.

Draco ignored the stares that came his way as he waited for The Dark Lord to enter the room. Luckily, he wasn't waiting long before Voldemort swept into the room, silencing any gossip that was still floating around the room.

"To begin, I just want to mention Draco," Voldemort said as he stood at the head of the table. "I'm sure a few of you are surprised to see him here, but Draco here is a lesson on what happens if you cross me. As everyone knows, I haven't pressured any of your children to join me. However, I did not expect the son of one of my most loyal men to get involved with a mudblood and get her pregnant."

"So the rumours are true," Goyle snorted. "I wasn't sure if I believed Greg when he mentioned what had happened in a letter a few days ago."

"Hopefully Draco will be a lesson for all your children," Voldemort said. "I don't expect them all to join me, but I don't expect them to go to the light either and betray me."

"Your son needs to watch out Nott," Parkinson said with a bitter chuckle. "He'll be next in line to feel the wrath of The Dark Lord."

"What?" Voldemort frowned. "What am I missing?"

"My daughter, Pansy, wrote to me a few days ago," Parkinson supplied. "She told me all about the fuss with Draco and the mudblood. But she reckons that since it all came out at school, young Theo Nott and the Zabini boy are standing by the Granger girl. Apparently they're spending every waking moment with her and the child."

"That's what Daphne said as well," Greengrass piped up. "According to her, Nott and Zabini had a right go and her and Pansy just for talking about what was going on."

"Nott, what do you know about this?" Voldemort questioned, turning to Nott in annoyance.

"Nothing, My Lord," Nott replied. "I haven't heard anything from my son since he went back to school after Christmas."

"I think it's time I met the younger generation, and reminded them just where their loyalties lie," Voldemort mused. "Nott, write to your son and find out what's happening. I also want him home at Easter so I can speak to him. Parkinson, Greengrass, you do the same with your girls, and Crabbe, Goyle, you can bring your boys back as well."

"What about the Zabini boy?" Bellatrix asked.

"I can't say I've heard of him," Voldemort said with a frown, as he turned to Draco. "Draco, what can you tell us about the Zabini boy? Who are his parents?"

"I've only met his mother," Draco answered, knowing it was pointless to lie to try and protect Blaise since Voldemort could find out what he wanted some other way. "I don't even know if he knows who his father is. Blaise's mother has had a string of husbands, all of whom seem to die in tragic accidents."

"Interesting," Voldemort muttered. "A black widow. Does she have any connection to the Dark Arts?"

"I don't think so," Draco replied. "Blaise isn't that way inclined."

"Maybe not now, but it sounds like he has potential," Voldemort said. "Nott, since he's so friendly with your son, see if you can get him to yours over the Easter break. I think it's time I got myself some younger recruits."

Draco spent the rest of the meeting worrying about his friends, and if they would be forced to take the mark like he'd been. He just hoped that Blaise and Theo could avoid that fate, and that they could continue looking after Hermione and Lyra. It helped Draco knowing his friends were with his family, and he wasn't sure how he would cope if Hermione was left all alone. He needed Blaise and Theo to stay with her if he had any chance of surviving whatever else Voldemort was going to throw at him in the coming months.


	20. Chapter 20

After taking the day off school following her parents' deaths, Hermione was back in lessons on the Friday. Even though it was a wrench leaving Lyra, she'd gone ahead and attended lessons in an attempt to get things back to some semblance of normality. However, she checked on her daughter in between every lesson, but even that wasn't really enough for her and she spent the entire day wishing she was with her daughter.

In the first lesson of the day, Ron had apologised for his behaviour the previous day, but Hermione got the distinct impression he was being forced into apologising by Harry. However, she had more important things to worry about then whether or not Ron's apology was genuine, so she accepted it and suggested they moved on. Despite Ron's apology and Hermione's acceptance of it, things were still tense between the pair. Of course things weren't helped that Hermione split her time between Harry and Ron and Blaise and Theo. Even though Blaise and Theo kept an eye on her when she was with her friends, Hermione still felt more protected when she was with the Slytherins. Whenever she was with Blaise and Theo, she heard none of the gossip about her, whereas when she was with Harry and Ron, people weren't afraid to throw snide comments her way. Not that Hermione paid any attention to the comments, but it was still easier if she didn't have to hear them.

"I was thinking of starting my research into Rowena Ravenclaw," Hermione told her friends as they exited the last lesson of the day.

"You don't have to, Hermione," Harry said quickly. "We understand that you have other priorities now. I'm sure we'll work out what we're looking for eventually."

"I want to help," Hermione insisted. "In fact, I need to help. You need to find this object as quickly as possible so you can destroy it. It's the only way I'll get to see Draco again. Besides, it might help to try and take my mind of things."

"We'd very much appreciate the help, but don't push yourself," Harry said, giving Hermione a smile. "Lyra is your priority, we understand that."

"Don't worry, I won't push myself," Hermione replied. "In fact maybe you two could join me. I was planning on heading to the library to grab some books and then heading back to the head dorms."

"Sorry Hermione, we've got quidditch practice," Ron said, sounding more relived that he had an excuse than sorry he couldn't help.

"That's okay, maybe next time," Hermione said with a shrug.

"Sure," Harry said with a nod. "But we better be off, we're going to be running late at this rate."

Hermione watched as Harry and Ron sprinted off towards Gryffindor Tower, leaving her standing all alone in the corridor. Brushing aside the disappointment she felt at the way her friends had just ran off and left her, Hermione made her way to the library. She decided it was best to get the books before heading back to the dorms, otherwise once she was settled with Lyra, she wouldn't want to leave again.

When she entered the library, Hermione groaned quietly when she spotted Pansy Parkinson and Daphne Greengrass sitting at one of the tables. The two Slytherin girls had been the most vocal in their condemnation towards her, and considering she was alone, Hermione suspected they wouldn't be shy in letting her know what a slapper they thought she was. Sure enough, she'd no sooner passed the two Slytherins than they started talking loudly about Hermione and how disgusting they thought it was that she was a mother.

As she searched for some helpful books Hermione did her best to ignore the pair, which became incredibly hard when they suggested that Draco hadn't been forced to join Voldemort, and that he'd left of his own free will to get away from her and Lyra. By the time she had a selection of books ready to check out, Hermione was using all her self-control not to snap and give the two Slytherins a piece of her mind. However, she knew arguing with the pair wasn't the answer, even if it would be very satisfying to tell the pair of evil witches to go and jump off a cliff.

Once free of the library, Hermione headed back to the head dorms. When she entered the head dorms, she found Molly sitting reading a story to Lyra. However, she was rather surprised to find Dumbledore sitting with Molly, drinking a cup of tea.

"Is everything okay?" She asked when the headmaster got to his feet. Dumbledore had kindly offered to arrange her parents burial, so she wondered if he'd hit a snag.

"It's fine," Dumbledore reassured her. "I just want to talk to you about your duties as Head Girl."

"I'm so sorry, I've been neglecting them," Hermione admitted with a grimace. Being Head Girl was something she'd wanted since starting school, but with everything that was going on she hadn't been able to really live up to her position.

"That's quite understandable," Dumbledore said with a smile. "However, head duties do need to be done. I did consider asking either Mr Nott or Mr Zabini to step in as Head Boy and help you out, but when I made a few enquires they both informed me that you and Lyra were their priority, not school. So I've decided to appoint a new Head Boy and Head Girl. Don't worry, you and Draco will still hold the official title, and I'm not moving you out of the dorms. I'll set up fresh dorms for the second head pair. However, if you want to be involved in any way, you have the right. You're still the official Head Girl, and nothing will change that."

Hermione nodded, knowing where Dumbledore was coming from. He had a responsibility to the school, and at the moment he had two head students unable to do the job. Draco wasn't even in school any more, and Hermione had more important things to worry about than sorting the prefects and such. In actual fact Hermione thought Dumbledore was being a lot more generous that he could be. She wouldn't have actually blamed him if he'd stripped her of the title of Head Girl, since she'd done very little to deserve being called Head Girl all year.

Once Dumbledore had left, satisfied that he hadn't upset Hermione, Molly also announced it was time for her to leave. With Molly gone, Hermione took over caring for her daughter. After feeding her, and bathing her, Hermione grabbed a quick bite to eat and she settled down to do some homework and research while Lyra snoozed beside her on the sofa. Hermione had barely started her work when there was knock on the door and Blaise and Theo entered the room.

"You do know you don't have to spend every evening with us, don't you?" Hermione checked as the pair settled down on the sofa opposite Hermione and Lyra.

"We know, but we want to," Blaise replied. "And we're sorry for not being with you earlier when you were in the library."

"Yeah, we didn't know you were going to be alone," Theo added. "We thought Potter and Weasley would be with you. Didn't you say you were going to ask them about helping you with some sort of Order business?"

"I asked, but they were busy," Hermione replied with a shrug. "But how did you know I was in the library on my own?"

"Pansy and Daphne," Blaise answered with a grimace. "The gruesome twosome came back to the dungeons laughing about how they'd upset you."

"They didn't upset me, they made me mad," Hermione clarified. "I so nearly told them what I thought of them."

"Promise me when you do, you'll make sure we're there to see it," Theo said with a wicked grin. "I'd pay to see you tearing a strip off them both."

"You two are wicked," Hermione said with a slight laugh. It surprised her that she could even laugh given the circumstances, but Blaise and Theo did their best to try and keep things light-hearted.

"Thank you," Blaise said, grinning as though Hermione had paid them a massive compliment. "Now we might not be Potter and Weasley, but can we help you?"

"Yes, but I want to ask something first," Hermione replied. Blaise and Theo had actually joined the Order the day they'd visited Grimmauld Place after Draco had been forced to join Voldemort, so she trusted them with what she was doing.

"Ask away, we're open books," Theo said.

"What's happened to quidditch practice?" Hermione asked. It had only occurred to her when Harry and Ron had been rushing off to practice that neither Blaise nor Theo had mentioned quidditch in the last week.

"Nothing, we just haven't attended," Blaise answered with a shrug. "As vice-captain I was supposed to take over when Draco left, but we've got more important things to think about. You and Lyra are more important than quidditch."

"But you both love quidditch," Hermione argued. "I don't want either of you to put your life on hold because of us."

"We're doing what we want to do," Theo assured Hermione. "Besides, we loved playing quidditch alongside Draco. It just wouldn't be the same without him. We'd rather focus on you and Lyra, you're our priority."

"I'm flattered," Hermione said with a smile. "And very grateful. I don't think I would have made it through this past week if it wasn't for you two. You've been amazing."

"And we'll carry on being amazing," Blaise vowed. "We're here for you, Hermione. Neither of us are going anywhere. You're stuck with us until Draco is back."

"And even then we'll still stick around," Theo added. "You're our friend now Hermione, and we don't abandon our friends."

Hermione smiled at the pair as she felt herself becoming emotional. Shaking her head to stop any tears from falling, she pulled out some books from her bag and set about explaining what she was doing to Blaise and Theo. Within five minutes, the trio were happily beginning their research into Rowena Ravenclaw as they looked for something of hers that Voldemort might have found and turned into a Horcrux.

* * *

 **::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::**

* * *

Eager to head up to the head dorms to help Hermione with her research, Blaise and Theo quickly ate their breakfast on Saturday morning. Even though the pair were sitting at the Slytherin table, they weren't paying any attention to the classmates as they planned a trip down into Hogsmeade. In fact Blaise was even wondering if everyone was going to be down in Hogsmeade if Hermione could be persuaded to spend a few hours outside with Lyra. Leaning over to Theo, he quietly voiced his query to his friend.

"What are you two whispering about?" Pansy suddenly demanded.

"None of your business," Theo responded.

"I bet they're talking about the mudblood and her brat," Daphne sneered. "It's all they're interested in these days."

"I'll not tell you again, Daphne, don't you dare insult Hermione," Blaise spat. "She's worth ten of you and Pansy. You're nothing but hateful little cows."

"Don't you dare speak to me like that," Daphne snarled angrily. "You won't be laughing when I tell my father."

"Ooh, I'm scared," Blaise replied with a mock shudder.

"You should be," Daphne warned. "My father will tear you to pieces if I tell him what you've been saying."

"Bring it on, Greengrass," Blaise said with a smirk. "You and your father don't scare me."

"Then you're a fool, Zabini," Daphne spat back.

Before things could go any further owls started to swoop into the Great Hall, and a handful of them headed directly for the Slytherin table. Five owls landed almost simultaneously in the middle of the table. Daphne, Pansy, Crabbe and Goyle all reached for their owls, while Theo also reached for his with a sigh.

"I don't believe it," Theo stormed when he opened the letter.

"What's wrong?" Blaise asked.

"I'm being summoned home," Theo replied with a snarl. "Father's heard about what's been going on, and he wants some answers."

"I wonder who told him," Blaise remarked, glaring at a smug looking Pansy and Daphne.

"Well, he's not happy," Theo grumbled. "I'm to go home at Easter and explain myself. And hey Blaise, you'll love this. He wants you to come as well."

"As if," Blaise snorted. "Sorry Theo, but I won't be summoned by a man I don't know just so he can give me a lecture on who I should and should not befriend."

"I wish I had that option," Theo muttered. "I'm going to have to go home and face the music."

"You won't be alone," Pansy said with a smirk. "We're all going home as well. We've all been summoned, and I don't think it's our fathers doing the summoning. I think The Dark Lord wants to meet us."

"Oh joy, I get to meet the power mad wizard who's enslaving my best friend," Theo remarked sarcastically. "This will be the best Easter break ever."

"And there's nothing you can do about it," Daphne trilled triumphantly. "Enjoy your time with the mudblood, Theo. It'll soon be coming to an end."

With a low growl, Blaise whipped out his wand and before Daphne could say anything else, he shut her up by throwing a hex her way that caused her face to break out in itchy red spots. Laughing at the scene as Daphne started to scream loudly, Blaise and Theo got to their feet and ran from the Great Hall. It wasn't until they were nearly at the head dorms that Blaise asked about Theo's letter, and if it was genuine. He didn't know a lot about Theo's father, but he did know he wasn't as big on the Death Eaters as Draco's father.

"We're going to find out soon," Theo replied as they knocked on the door to the head dorms.

When Hermione answered the door, Blaise and Theo entered the room and told her about the letter Theo and the other Slytherins had received. Hermione was instantly worried that Theo was going to get into trouble for standing by her, but Theo dismissed her worries. Pulling out his letter he spread it on the coffee table, and checking they were alone, he tapped his wand on the parchment three times. Much to Blaise and Hermione's surprise, the stern letter he'd received from his father began to rearrange itself until it was said something entirely different. The new letter advised Theo to stay away over the holidays, unless he wanted to end up in the same position as Draco.

"Wow," Blaise remarked. "Your father's pretty cool, Theo."

"He is," Theo agreed with a proud smile as he re-read his father's genuine letter. "But we're going to have to play it as though I'm going home for Easter. We don't want the others getting wind of the fact I'm not going home."

"But what happens when you fail to go home?" Hermione questioned. "Won't your father be in trouble?"

"I hope not," Theo replied, worriedly biting his lower lip. "But I guess that's why he coded the letter. The others will swear I received a letter summoning my home, and if anyone asks him, he can reference the cover letter he sent. It'll just look as though I've been disobedient."

"As long as you're sure about this, Theo," Hermione said. "I don't want more people getting hurt."

"Don't worry, Hermione, I'm doing the right thing," Theo said, giving Hermione a reassuring smile. "The right thing is to stay with you and Lyra. My father understands that, and he wouldn't have warned me to stay away if he genuinely feared for his life. I'll be the one in trouble not him, and I'll be safe with the Order. Now enough worrying about me, Blaise and I have a suggestion. How do you fancy taking Lyra and spending a few hours down by the Black Lake? It would be nice for her to have some fresh air, and we promise no-one will dare disrespect either of you."

"You never know, people might even come round a bit when they see Lyra and see how gorgeous she is," Blaise added.

Hermione considered the idea for a couple of minutes, before agreeing they could spend a few hours outside. Blaise and Theo were right, it would be good for Lyra to get some fresh air. They might also be right about it bringing people around, but she wasn't bothered about that. All she was bothered about was her daughter, and getting Lyra out in the fresh air seemed like the best idea she'd heard all week.


	21. Chapter 21

The weeks at the manor seemed to crawl past for Draco. After his first outing and subsequent meeting as an unwilling Death Eater, it seemed like he was constantly in action. Barely a week went by that Voldemort didn't turn up with a new task for Draco. However, nothing The Dark Lord asked of him was as tough as his first task. In fact several times, Draco had managed to get away with doing very little. Most of Voldemort's tasks involved attacks, and it surprised Draco how easy he was finding it make it look as though he was partaking, while deliberately avoiding doing any damage and hurting anyone.

Draco suspected Voldemort knew what he was doing, but for some reason he was happy to let him continue faking his participation. Although one thing Draco wouldn't avoid was his presence at the attacks being known. Voldemort refused to give him a mask, so everywhere they went, Draco's face was on display for everyone to see and recognise him. No doubt it was all part of Voldemort's master plan to have him well and truly associated with the Death Eaters.

Draco hated the fact he would always be known as a Death Eater, but at the same time it was a small price to pay to ensure his daughter was safe. He would rather be hated by the wizarding world, then stop fighting and have his daughter pay the price for his failure. He was just hoping that once the war was over and Voldemort was defeated, that his name could be cleared, or at least the full story would come out. He didn't want his daughter growing up thinking he'd turned his back on her and Hermione and chose to fight for a wizard who wanted nothing more than to rid the wizarding world of muggleborns like Hermione.

Even though Draco wrote to Hermione once a week, and she wrote to him, he still didn't have much idea about how the war was going on their end. Their correspondences were mainly about Lyra, and how much they missed one another. However, Draco had managed to slip in a few vital bits of information he hoped could help the Order. One of which was that Voldemort himself had several Death Eater masks and he would often be at attacks in disguise. Draco was hoping that the information could prove helpful for the Order, and that just maybe they could surprise Voldemort and end his life, freeing Draco from his grasp and giving him the chance to return to his family.

When he wasn't attending Death Eater meetings, or taking part in attacks, Draco spent his time in his room and the wing of the manor that was supposedly his personal space. Narcissa often spent a few hours of the day with him, but there were also times when Lucius kept her busy planning various dinners and parties he'd taken to hosting. It was like he wanted the whole world to see he had his wife and son exactly where he wanted them. Draco had followed in his footsteps and joined the Death Eaters, while Narcissa was the loyal and supporting wife and mother.

Draco had been at the manor well over two months when Lucius once again surprised him in the middle of the day. Normally Draco was informed about what he was taking part in on an evening, either at a Death Eater meeting, or by Voldemort himself. He hadn't been interrupted in the middle of the day since his first task was assigned to him. As such, Draco got a bad feeling when his father strode into Draco's personal library and announced he was wanted by The Dark Lord.

"What's going on?" Draco questioned.

"You'll find out," Lucius replied. "Now come with me."

Draco had little choice but to follow his father out of the library and down to his study. Not at all surprisingly, Voldemort was situated behind Lucius's desk, looking every bit at home in the private study of the elder Malfoy. Draco couldn't help but by disgusted with his father for the way he'd just let Voldemort waltz into the family home and take over. Until Voldemort returned, Draco had always thought of his father as a proud man, but now he could see he was nothing more than another of Voldemort's mindless puppets. Lucius was no different to the other lowly Death Eaters that just rolled over for Voldemort, he'd just managed to slime his way up to a position of power as he did so.

"It's time for you to prove yourself again, Draco," Voldemort said to the blond. "We're leaving in ten minutes, and this time there's to be none of your messing around. You are getting involved whether you like it or not. Just remember I have this." Voldemort pulled Lyra's ribbon from his robes and dangled it in front of Draco. "Unless you want your little brat to suffer, you're going to step up and show me what I know you're capable of. Do I make myself clear?"

"Yes My Lord," Draco replied, knowing how he was expected to address Voldemort.

"I guess we're going to see just what you're made of then," Voldemort replied with a slight smirk. "Go and get your robes, and meet us back in the front hallway in five minutes. I'll explain where we're going then."

Draco gave Voldemort a sharp nod before he turned and left his father's study. With only five minutes to get ready, he didn't have time to go and see his mother and warn her he was leaving. All he had time to do was pay a quick visit to the bathroom, grab his robes and sprint back down to the front hallway.

In the front hallway, Draco found Voldemort and his father had been joined by his aunt. All three of them had their robes on, and Draco knew they would also add their masks to their attire when they were leaving. Now wherever they were going, Draco would be the only one recognisable. When word spread about the attack, he would be the only one that could be proven to be involved.

"Draco, you're going to be shadowed by your aunt," Voldemort announced. "And believe me, if she isn't happy with you, she'll let me know. You mess up today, and your daughter pays for your incompetence."

"I expect good things today, Draco," Bellatrix added with a malicious smile. "You're not going to disappoint me, are you?"

"No," Draco answered. "I won't disappoint anyone."

"We'll see," Voldemort muttered. "Now before I leave to check everyone else is ready to go, I'll run over what I want you to do, Draco. We're going to be attacking Diagon Alley, and I want you to target the joke shop. I want the place destroyed, and if you get a chance to get rid of those jokers that own the place, take it. Understood?"

Draco nodded once, knowing that Voldemort had deliberately assigned him the joke shop as it was run by the Weasley twins, and yet again by targeting them he was targeting someone Hermione cared for. Although Draco also suspected that by having him target the Weasleys, Voldemort was trying to destroy the support network his girlfriend and daughter had. After all, how would the Weasleys feel about standing by Hermione, when her boyfriend had attacked members of their family? Draco suspected the day's events would have serious repercussions for Hermione, he just hoped that when all was said and done, he himself didn't have blood in his hands. Despite everything, he really didn't know if he had it in him to kill.

"Bella, Lucius, we leave exactly at two," Voldemort announced before he pulled out his wand and disappeared with a crack.

While Lucius pulled out his pocket watch to keep an eye on the time, Bellatrix grabbed hold of her nephew. Draco then watched as the pair lowered their masks into place in preparation for the attack.

"Don't screw up Draco," Bellatrix hissed. "No messing around. We head to the joke shop and attack. I'll be watching, and I want to see destruction. No firing spells and having them just miss the target."

Draco wasn't sure whether to be shocked that his aunt was aware of what he'd been doing over the past few weeks. He'd actually been using the tactic of firing spells slightly off target and blaming his misses on the fact he was caught up in a whirl of action. However, it was clear that tactic wasn't going to work today. He would just have to shut off his emotions, and act like the cold hearted monster Voldemort wanted him to be. He would have to forget about the fact he was targeting two people Hermione cared for, not to mention the dozens of shoppers that would be in the street, and just do what was expected of him. He would have to become the Death Eater he now was, and wreak havoc on Diagon Alley.

Draco was still mulling over what he had to do when his aunt tugged on his arm and they were off. Taken by surprise with the apparition, Draco stumbled on his feet when they landed in Knockturn Alley. Within a minute the alley was filled with Death Eaters wearing their black robes and silver masks. Suddenly the Death Eater at the front of the group, who Draco assumed was Voldemort, shot red sparks from his wand and the group launched into action. Draco had been on enough attacks to recognise the signal to move, and despite wanting to do nothing more than run in the opposite direction, he joined the crowd swarming into Diagon Alley.

Ignoring the screaming and panic that was already building when he entered the street, Draco turned towards the joke shop. Pulling out his wand, he made a beeline down the street to where the shop was located. Behind him, a Death Eater was following him, and without looking he knew it was his aunt. As he made his way to the joke shop, Draco realised the attack was perfectly co-ordinated. Everyone seemed to have a target in mind, so there was no random Death Eaters with nothing to do.

"Here we are," Bellatrix crowed from behind Draco as she bounced excitedly on her toes.

The action was just starting to hit the part of the street the joke shop was located in, and as he stood in the middle of the street, Draco watched the people fleeing out of shops. People were pouring out of the joke shop and running for their lives, but Draco saw no sign of the twins. Hoping the pair weren't inside, Draco raised his wand and shattered the large front window.

The window shattering seemed to be the key for Bellatrix to move as she leapt forward and began firing spell after spell at the building and the people fleeing from it. While his aunt was clearly loving the destruction they were causing, Draco was trying his best not to think about it. Locking away all his thoughts and feelings, he approached the task in a robotic fashion. Aiming spells at the building, he tried his best to cause as much damage as possible. Even when a piece of falling rubble from one of his explosions fell to the street and hit someone on the shoulder, Draco didn't let himself feel anything. He merely carried on with what he was supposed to be doing.

"Inside," Bellatrix called, running forward and darting into the now dangerous shop.

Hoping something fell and crushed his aunt, Draco followed her inside Weasleys Wizard Wheezes. Surprisingly the shop was still pretty sound inside, so his aunt had taken to trashing the shops contents. Leaving her to her fun, Draco carried on through the shop, aiming the odd spell to cause more damage in case Bellatrix was watching him. Blasting his way through the door that led to the back room, Draco froze when he found the Weasley twins both in the back room. One of them was limping badly, where it looked as though he'd been hit by a piece of falling rubble, and the other one was trying to get him out of the back door and away to safety.

"Ah Weasels," Bellatrix announced with excitement as she suddenly appeared beside her nephew. "You know what to do, Draco."

"Do what you have to," George, the twin who wasn't limping, said to Draco as he moved to stand in front of Fred. "We understand, Draco."

"Isn't that sweet," Bellatrix mocked with a manic laugh. "He's willing to sacrifice himself for you, Draco."

"No, he's willing to do it for Lyra and Hermione," Draco whispered quietly.

"Don't misunderstand," Fred said, poking his head around his brother's side. "We understand what Draco has to do, but we won't go down without a fight."

"I love a good fight," Bellatrix cackled as he hurled a hex in George's direction.

George barely manged the dodge the hex, but unfortunately it hit Fred on the shoulder and immediately his top began to turn red as blood seeped from a deep wound in his right shoulder. George took one look at his wounded twin, before letting out a low growl and sending a hex back at Bellatrix. Bellatrix easily dodged the hex, and hurled one back in return.

"Get the wounded one, Draco," Bellatrix cried as she engaged in a fierce battle with George.

Despite the fact he was now using his left hand, Fred still raised his wand and pointed it at Draco. Unhappily Draco raised his own wand and shot a few half-hearted hexes at the redhead, deliberately missing the mark. Fred returned a few hexes in the same vein as the pair tried to work out how to end the fight without hurting one another. Unfortunately, the same wasn't happening across the room and Draco knew unless he did something his aunt was going to kill George.

Getting his eye on a piece of ceiling tile that was barely hanging up above where Bellatrix and George were fighting, Draco got an idea. Catching Fred's eye, he glanced up at the tile, hoping the redhead could at least grasp some of his plan. Whether or not he understood what Draco wanted, or if he had his own plan, Draco didn't know, but Fred gave him a subtle nod. Raising his wand, he aimed it at the tile just as Draco's shot another fake spell in his direction. Fred's spell caused the ceiling tile to crash downwards, and the edge of it caught Bellatrix on the side of the head as it fell.

"Aunt Bella," Draco cried in mock concern as his aunt crashed to the floor.

While Draco rushed over to his aunt, George ran over to Fred and the pair began to scramble over the rubble to the back door. Despite the fact she was almost out of it, Bellatrix managed to remove her mask and gave Draco an unimpressed glare.

"Don't sit here, get them," she ordered.

Turning back to face the fleeing Weasleys, Draco aimed his wand slightly off to the side of the retreating pair. From the position his aunt was lying, she would think he was aiming at them. However, just as Draco shot off the spell, Bellatrix surged upwards and knocked his arm holding his wand. Draco was left to watch in horror as his spell hit the ceiling above the twins and the two redheads were buried under an avalanche of falling bricks and mortar.

"Well done Draco," Bellatrix whispered, not realising she'd changed Draco's aim and without her interference the twins would have emerged from the shop unscathed. "Now get me home."

With that, Bellatrix collapsed back onto the ground. Draco checked and found she still had a pulse before he turned his attention to where the Weasleys had fallen. Leaving his aunt, he hurried over to the doorway, but all he could see was rubble. Just as he'd started to try and pull some of the rubble off the twins so he could try and rescue them, he heard his father's voice coming from the shop.

"I'm sorry," he whispered to the twins, not knowing if they could hear him, or if they were even still alive.

Jumping away from the rubble, he rushed back over to his aunt and swept her up in his arms. By the time Lucius entered the back room, Draco was beside the door holding onto his prone aunt.

"What happened?" Lucius asked, checking Bellatrix was still breathing.

"One of the twins got aunt Bella with a falling bit of rubble," Draco answered.

"And what happened to the twins?" Lucius asked suspiciously as he saw no sign of the two redheads.

"Under there." Draco jerked his head in the direction of the pile of rubble. "I buried them when they were trying to escape."

"Impressive." Lucius gave Draco a nod, and even though his mask covered his face, Draco could hear that his father was genuinely impressed with what he'd been told. "Maybe there's hope for you yet, son."

Draco said nothing as Lucius plucked Bellatrix from his arms and turned to leave the shop. Draco took one last look at the rubble pile, hoping the twins had survived, before he followed after his father. He'd done everything he could have during the attack, and he just had to hope it was enough to keep Voldemort happy and Lyra safe.


	22. Chapter 22

Hermione paced the floor in front of the fireplace, Lyra settled in her arms. All afternoon Lyra had been grizzly, and Hermione wasn't sure if it was because Voldemort was using her ribbon to threaten Draco, or if she was just in a bad mood. Either way Hermione knew her daughter was suffering with all the recent changes in her life. While she may have come into contact with even more people who loved her, she'd still lost her father and grandmother as well as her home. She now lived somewhere different, had different people looking after her and she didn't even have Hermione with her all day every day. Hermione could understand Lyra's restlessness, and she was beginning to wonder if a change was in order to offer her daughter some more stability.

In two weeks it would be the Easter holidays, and once they returned to Hogwarts after the break, exams would be right around the corner. At this stage, Hermione wasn't even sure if she could pass her exams. She was barely keeping up with her schoolwork, and her grades were a lot lower than they'd ever been. However, Lyra was her priority, and Hermione was beginning to think leaving school was what was best for her daughter. It was different when Draco was with her, and Lyra was settled at home with Narcissa, but the change of circumstances meant that Hermione was rethinking her plans. Suddenly making sure she had qualifications so she could work in the future, didn't seem quite as important. Right now all that was important was survival, and making sure when Voldemort was defeated their family was still intact.

"Hermione."

Hermione turned her head at the sound of Blaise's voice. As usual, Blaise and Theo were spending their Saturday with her and Lyra. However, Harry and Ron had also joined them along with Ginny. Currently the rest of the group were continuing the research into Rowena Ravenclaw, while Hermione tried to settle Lyra. Even though Ginny wasn't part of the Order, and didn't know what exactly was going on, she knew enough so she could help them with their research.

"Sorry, I was lost in thought," Hermione apologised. "Have you got something?"

"Maybe," Blaise replied as Hermione perched on the sofa beside him. "I keep finding references to some diadem. The diadem of wisdom."

"We've spotted that, but it's no good," Ron said from where he was sitting sprawled on the floor.

"Why not?" Hermione asked with a frown. So far they'd found nothing of any real significance, so she was more than happy to at least try to look into this diadem.

"It's lost," Ron answered. "It hasn't been seen for centuries, not since Rowena herself was alive."

"I know it's lost, but it doesn't mean it hasn't been found again," Blaise argued. "Who's to say You-Know-Who didn't find it and use it? Wasn't he obsessed with the founders? If anyone could find it, he could."

"Zabini's right," Harry said, much to the chagrin of his best friend. "I don't think we can rule it out. I mean let's face it, we haven't had any success with anything else. Our other options are a diary she was rumoured to have written, and a necklace that she used to wear. We have no proof the diary even exists, and as for the necklace, she wasn't seen wearing it in the latter part of her life. Maybe she got rid of it years before she even founded Hogwarts. For all we know, the necklace is long gone."

"So where do you suppose we start our search for a missing diadem?" Ron asked in annoyance.

"Before we start looking for it, perhaps we should try and find out more about it," Blaise suggested. "So far I haven't been able to find a picture of it. We can't look for something if we don't know what it looks like."

"So let's get looking into the diadem of wisdom," Harry suggested, just as there was a knock on the door.

"I'll go," Theo offered, jumping to his feet and heading over to the door.

When Theo opened the door a sombre looking McGonagall entered the room. Instantly everyone knew something had happened, and that the head of Gryffindor was delivering bad news. Holding tighter onto her daughter, Hermione prepared herself for whatever McGonagall had come to tell them.

"I've got some news," McGonagall began. "This afternoon Diagon Alley suffered a brutal attack."

"The twins," Ginny gasped. "Are they okay?"

"Their shop was badly damaged," McGonagall answered. "When help arrived, they were nowhere to be found. However, a spell revealed they're trapped under the rubble at the back of the shop. Professor Dumbledore asked me to come and collect you and take you back to Headquarters to wait for news. As far as I know, the rescue mission is still going on."

"What about the rest of the street?" Harry asked as Ron and Ginny quickly got to their feet.

"It's in pretty bad shape," McGonagall replied. "Every single shop and business was targeted. There were also a few causalities, including Mr Ollivander and Madam Malkin. There's likely more, but as I said, the street is in chaos."

"Can I go with Ron and Ginny?" Harry asked. "The Weasleys are like family to me."

"I see no reason why not," McGonagall said. "Hermione, do you want to come too?"

"I'll stay here," Hermione answered in a quiet voice. "But can someone keep me up to date with what's going on?"

"Of course," McGonagall promised with a nod.

"Tell the family I'm thinking of them," Hermione said to Ron, reaching out for her best friend as he passed her.

"I should hope so considering your Death Eater boyfriend was probably there," Ron snapped, pulling away from Hermione. "If anything happens to either Fred or George, I'll never forgive you Hermione."

"He's just upset," Ginny whispered as Ron stormed out of the common room. "Don't worry, I'll pass on your message."

"Thanks, and I hope the twins are okay," Hermione replied, squeezing Ginny's hand before the redhead followed after her brother.

Hermione gave Harry a brief hug, before he joined the two Weasleys and McGonagall in heading to her office so they could head to Grimmauld Place. Left alone with Blaise and Theo, Hermione slumped back onto the sofa to digest what they'd discovered. She was now guessing that Voldemort had been using Lyra's ribbon to make Draco take part in the attack, which explained Lyra's crankiness.

"You should have gone with them," Blaise said. "No-one else thinks like Weasley. The rest of his family understand the situation, and they don't blame you or Draco for anything."

"Maybe not now, but they might if anything happens to the twins," Hermione replied softly. "I'll wait and see what's happening before I speak to them. The outcome of this might also affect the decision I've been making these last few weeks."

"What decision?" Theo asked.

"I'm going to leave school," Hermione answered. "It's just not working anymore. It was different when Draco was here and we were together, but things have changed. Lyra needs me, and at the moment I'm not there for her the way I should be as I'm trying to cram my studies in. At this rate I'm going to fail my exams, and let my daughter down. Lyra comes first, so that's why I'm leaving school at Easter."

"Where are we going?" Blaise asked.

"We?" Hermione raised an eyebrow at the Slytherin.

"Yes, we," Theo confirmed. "If you're leaving school, so are we. We promised Draco we would look after you, and that's what we intend to do."

"I appreciate the offer, but I can't let you throw your lives away from me," Hermione said. "You need to stay here and get your N.E.W.T.S."

"We could take our exams any time and pass," Blaise remarked. "As could you, by the way. Right now, school isn't important. We can worry about that later, right now we need to focus on winning the war. It's the only way life will return to normal."

"Besides, it might be better if I leave," Theo added. "Remember I'm supposed to be going home at Easter, and when I don't show there's going to be trouble. If I'm still in school after the holidays my father might be forced to come and get me. Call me selfish, but I don't want to be put in the same position as Draco. I don't want to be a Death Eater. I want to look after you and Lyra."

"If you're sure, I'd love to have the pair of you with me," Hermione replied with a relieved smile. "We'll wait and see what happens with the twins before I speak to Dumbledore. If he's agreeable, I thought we could just go to headquarters. But if he doesn't like the plan, we can just take Lyra and go into hiding ourselves."

"Either way, we're with you to the end," Blaise vowed as he gave Hermione a hug. "If we have to go into hiding, the four of us can cope just fine. Everything will work out, you'll see."

* * *

 **::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::**

* * *

Much to Hermione's frustration she didn't hear any word on the twins until several hours later. However, to keep herself occupied she'd done some research into the diadem, before giving her daughter her nightly feed, bathing her and settling her down to sleep. Just when she was beginning to give up hope of hearing anything that night, Snape knocked on the door.

"Please say its good news," Hermione pleaded as the Potions Professor entered the room.

"Both the twins survived," Snape confirmed immediately. "One of them, George I think, is in a worse way. It was touch and go for a while this afternoon, but I understand he's awake now."

"Thank god for that," Hermione declared with a relieved sigh as she dropped onto one of the sofas.

"They actually want to see you," Snape said. "Would you be up for visiting the hospital?"

"Sure, I'll just go and get Lyra ready."

"Don't," Blaise said, stopping Hermione before she made it to the stairs. "She's had a tough afternoon, she needs her rest. You go with Snape and visit the twins, Theo and I will stay with Lyra. If we need anything we can call for Madam Pomfrey, or Tipsy."

"That would be the best idea," Snape agreed. "Let your daughter sleep, Hermione. We'll only be an hour or so."

"Okay, but contact me if anything happens," Hermione said to Blaise and Theo.

"We will," Theo promised. "But nothing will happen. When you come back, she'll still be cosily nestled in her bed. She'll not even know you've gone."

As Snape set up the fire in the common room to connect it with St Mungo's, Hermione thanked Blaise and Theo yet again. Sometimes she felt as though all she did was thank the pair, but it seemed they were always doing something to help her. She honestly didn't know how she would have made it through the last few months if it hadn't been for Draco's two best friends.

When the connection was set up, Snape and Hermione flooed to St Mungo's. When they arrived at the hospital, Snape took her up to the appropriate floor and directly to a private room. Hermione was surprised the twins had a private room as the Weasleys didn't have money to ensure a private service, but Snape quickly explained that Dumbledore had arranged the room.

When Hermione entered the room, she found the entire Weasley clan in residence. George was lying in the bed everyone was surrounding, and Fred was sitting beside his bed in a wheelchair, his leg in plaster. As well as Weasleys, Harry was also present and Dumbledore was standing beside the window, looking out at the dark night thoughtfully.

"Hermione," Fred cried, spotting the brunette witch. "Get over here."

Hermione made her way through the Weasleys, until she was standing in front of Fred. Leaning down she gave him a hug, before hugging George in the bed. She then tentatively perched on the side of George's bed.

"I'm so pleased the pair of you are okay," Hermione said. "I've been so worried."

"It'll take more than a falling ceiling to get rid of us," George said with a weak grin.

"But seriously, we wouldn't be here if it wasn't for Draco," Fred said, causing Ron to snort loudly. "Well at least George wouldn't be," he added, ignoring his brother.

"He saved us," George confirmed. "I was battling Bellatrix, and I wouldn't have survived much longer. I was dodging her spells, but mine were barely grazing her. She might be mad, but she's a hell of a fighter."

"How did Draco save you?" Hermione asked.

"He was supposed to be fighting me, but he was deliberately missing me," Fred said. "Anyway, he got his eye on a piece of hanging ceiling and I worked out he wanted me to hit a spell at it. When I did, it fell on Bellatrix and George and I were able to escape."

"At least we would have escaped if the damn ceiling hadn't collapsed on us," George added with a chuckle, which quickly turned into a cough.

"But you don't know why the ceiling collapsed," Ron protested as Molly jumped up to get George a glass of water. "Malfoy might have done it."

"Or his aunt could have," Fred argued. "Bellatrix was knocked to the floor by the debris, but she wasn't knocked out. Even if it was Draco, he wasn't trying to kill us. He saved us, and nothing you say will turn us against him, Ron."

"You're all fools," Ron muttered under his breath as everyone ignored him and echoed Fred's sentiments regarding Draco.

Hermione thanked the family for their support, amazed that after everything they could still find it in themselves to support Draco. Between the animosity that had existed between the Weasleys and the Malfoys, and what had happened to the twins, Hermione would have understood if more of the family had taken views like Ron. But instead, they'd accepted that Draco was being forced into working for Voldemort and that all he really wanted was to be back home with her and Lyra.

"Now everyone's here, maybe it's time to discuss my idea," Dumbledore said, finally turning away from the window.

"What idea?" Hermione asked.

"It's crazy," Ron grumbled.

"It's not up to you, Ron," George said. "I think it's a good idea, and I'm happy to go along with it."

"We all are," Molly said with a nod.

"Would someone care to explain about this plan?" Hermione asked politely.

"After you leave tonight, George is going to take a turn for the worse," Dumbledore explained. "I'm sorting it so he can leave here under the cover of darkness, but as far as everyone else in concerned, he'll be dead."

"You're faking George's death?" Hermione frowned. "Why?"

"To hopefully give Draco a bit of breathing space," Dumbledore answered. "If Voldemort thinks he killed George, he might go easy on him for a while."

"The Dark Lord was desperate for Draco to prove himself," Snape added. "Hence the reason he's been taking him on some many attacks. This might give Draco a bit of space, and keep The Dark Lord from threatening Lyra for a while."

"And you would seriously so this?" Hermione asked George, before turning to look around the entire family. "You would fake George's death to help Draco?"

"Yes," Arthur said with a nod. "George would be perfectly safe at Grimmauld Place, and hopefully it will only be for a short time."

"Yeah, I'll be fine Hermione," George said with a smile.

"And I'll be with him," Fred added. "With the shop the way it is, no-one will be expecting to see me much. We can camp out at headquarters with Sirius. It'll be fun."

"We wanted to tell you, because we didn't want you think George was dead," Dumbledore told Hermione. "Plus, you can let Draco know what's going on so he isn't blaming himself. Once you and Harry go back to school tonight, the plan will commence and you'll both have to keep up the act. As far as anyone in concerned, George will be dead."

"We can keep up the act until Easter," Harry confirmed.

Dumbledore also explained that Ron and Ginny wouldn't be returning to school until after the Easter break. They were going to say that they'd been allowed to stay with their family overnight, and then with George's death they weren't ready to come back to school immediately. They would then go back to school after Easter, and have to keep up the pretence that George was dead. Hermione also suspected the extra break was to ensure Ron was well and truly on board with the plan and didn't give the game away.

"Thank you all so much for the plan," Hermione said when she was informed of the entire thing. "I'm sure Draco will appreciate what you're all doing for him."

"Not just for him, for you and Lyra as well," Molly said, giving Hermione a warm smile. "We just want what's best for you and your daughter."

"Speaking of what's best for Lyra, I've decided to leave school," Hermione announced, deciding it was the perfect time to mention her decision. "I was hoping we could go to Grimmauld Place, but I'd understand if that now wasn't an option."

"Nonsense, the more the merrier," George said.

"Yeah, Lyra needs to get to know her Uncle Fred and Uncle George," Fred added with a grin.

"Is that okay?" Hermione asked Dumbledore, who was now standing directly behind her.

"It's perfectly fine," Dumbledore said, giving her shoulder a reassuring squeeze. "As long as it what you want to do, we'll support you. I'll arrange everything for the Easter holidays. I take it you can cope at Hogwarts until then?"

"Of course. Although if you don't mind, I'd like to discuss plans properly with you. Maybe sometime next week when things quiet down a bit," Hermione said. She wanted to talk about Blaise and Theo joining her, but she didn't think now was the time to be getting into that.

"Of course," Dumbledore replied. "We can talk next week. But for now, I think it's time for you and Harry to head back to school with Severus."

Saying goodbye to the twins, and the rest of the family, Harry and Hermione accompanied Snape back down to the reception, where they flooed back to school. While Snape immediately headed off to the dungeons, Harry stuck around a bit and once Hermione had checked on Lyra, the two Gryffindors sat down and filled Blaise and Theo in on what was happening. Blaise and Theo also informed Harry of their plans to leave school and join Hermione in hiding, and much to Hermione's surprise Harry fully supported the decision. It finally looked as though Harry was really going to start supporting her, now all they had to do was get Ron on board and Hermione would also have her best friends at her side as well as Draco's.


	23. Chapter 23

After the attack on Diagon Alley, Draco didn't know how to feel. Aside from his worries about the twins' survival, he began to wonder what Bellatrix was going to tell Voldemort. The last thing he wanted was to go through all of that, only to have his aunt come along and tell The Dark Lord he hadn't done as directed. Luckily Bellatrix told Voldemort that Draco had done well. She admitted he'd been hesitant to begin with, but she confirmed he'd done what Voldemort had asked of him. Surprisingly she even thought that the last spell he'd cast that had brought the roof down on the Weasley twins had been deliberate, in her slightly dazed state she hadn't seemed to realise she'd knocked him and changed the direction of his spell.

Bellatrix's report had at least given Draco some breathing space from Voldemort, and the dark wizard hadn't made any attempt to hurt Lyra. Instead he'd given Draco a creepy smile, and dismissed him for the rest of the day. With things on an even keel with Voldemort, Draco was then left to brood on what had happened with the twins. All he could do now was hope that they'd both survived the ceiling collapsing on them and that they would both recover from whatever injuries they'd sustained.

Draco had an incredibly restless night's sleep worrying about the fate of the twins, not to mention anyone else who'd been in Diagon Alley at the time of the attack. He was hoping Sunday morning would bring news of what had happened after they'd left the previous day, but when he headed down to breakfast there was no sign of his father. The only person at breakfast was his mother, and unsurprisingly she knew nothing.

"All I know is that Lucius went out with him early this morning," Narcissa told her son. Unless she had to, she never referred to Voldemort as anything other than 'him'.

"What about Bellatrix? Does she know anything?" Draco pressed.

"I haven't seen her yet this morning," Narcissa replied. "But it's doubtful she knows anything. She was pretty groggy last night, and once she'd been checked out by a healer she went to bed. Lucius informed me this morning that I would be looking after her until she's back on her feet."

"Great, so now we're nursemaids," Draco grumbled.

"It's better than being dead," Narcissa said quietly.

"You worry about that?" Draco really looked at his mother, cursing silently as he took in just how worn out she looked. He'd been so concerned about what he was going through, and keeping Lyra safe, he'd forgot to really consider what his mother was going through. She was a prisoner just like him, and she wasn't exactly having an easy time of it.

"I do," Narcissa answered with a small nod. "I always worry he's going to push you too far, and try and get you to do something you can't do. When that happens, I'm terrified he'll snap and kill you."

"I guess we've just got to hope that doesn't happen," Draco replied. "Hopefully I can carry on doing as he wants."

"But for how much longer, Draco?" Narcissa asked in a small, broken voice. "This is killing you, and if anything happened to one of the twins yesterday, you'll blame yourself. There's only so much you can take before you snap."

"I'll just have to make sure I don't snap before Dumbledore and Potter end this thing," Draco said. "I only have to last until a time when I know Lyra is safe. As long as she and Hermione are safe, I've done my job."

A lengthy silence fell between mother and son, and was only broken when a house elf appeared to inform Narcissa her sister was awake. Quickly finishing off her cup of tea, Narcissa went off to play nursemaid to her sister, while Draco retreated back to his room.

Draco remained in his room all morning, and when he went done to lunch he was finally hoping to hear some news about Diagon Alley. Although when he entered the room and found just his mother and aunt, his hope of getting answers faded. However, not two minutes later his father and Voldemort breezed into the dining room, looking extremely jovial.

"Bellatrix, how are you feeling?" Voldemort asked as he settled down next to his occasional lover.

"Not too bad, although I could do with some good news," Bellatrix replied.

"That I can do," Voldemort announced with a sickly smirk. "I'm pleased to say yesterday was a massive success. Diagon Alley is closed for business, and several businesses and shops won't be opening up again anytime soon. We should be able to swoop in and take over a few."

"Never mind your plans to restock Diagon Alley, what about the fatalities?" Bellatrix questioned. "Please say we did some damage."

"Indeed we did," Voldemort replied, as he then reeled of half a dozen victims. "And best of all, Draco claimed his first victim."

Draco felt the potato he'd just put into his mouth threaten to come back up at Voldemort's words, but he managed to choke it down before looking over at The Dark Lord. "Who?"

"One of the Weasley twins, don't know which one," Voldemort replied with a casual shrug. "They were both pulled from the rubble yesterday evening, but one then died in hospital from their injuries. According to my source as the hospital, the family is inconsolable."

Draco nodded mutely as he felt tears prick the back of his eyes. His worst fears had come true, and Voldemort had turned him into a killer. He may not have cast the killing curse, but his actions had led to the death of one of the Weasley twins. He was responsible for what had happened, and he would never be able to remove the incident from his mind. No matter what the future held, he was now a murderer.

"Don't worry Draco, the first one always the hardest," Bellatrix piped up with a wicked smirk as she saw her nephew struggling to contain his emotions.

"First what?" Draco asked in a whisper, even though he thought he knew what she was talking about.

"First kill," Bellatrix answered maliciously. "Even when you're ready for it and have prepared, it hits you hard. But it gets easier as time goes on and you add to your tally."

Draco looked at his aunt in pure horror as she sat casually talking about killing people in between bites of her lunch. Although Voldemort and his father weren't much better, nodding their agreement as they started on their meal. Feeling sick as he realised just how many monsters he had in his family, Draco dropped his cutlery to his plate.

"Don't," Lucius warned in a deadly voice as Draco went to stand up. "Sit down and finish your lunch."

Draco opened his mouth to protest, but Voldemort casually pulled Lyra's ribbon out of his robes and placed it on the table beside his plate, effectively silencing him. With no other choice, Draco resettled himself in his seat and forced himself to choke down at least some of the lunch the elves had prepared.

"That's better," Voldemort remarked as Draco slowly forced down some of his meal. "You don't want to disappoint me Draco, not now I can see the potential in you. You may still be fighting, but you'll soon give in and embrace your dark side. It's there, I can see it, and I will bring it out of you. But for now, I'm satisfied you're making progress."

"Thank you, My Lord," Draco bit out when Lucius gave him a not so subtle kick under the table.

Chuckling slightly, Voldemort turned his attention back to Bellatrix and he began regaling her of tales of what else had happened at Diagon Alley the previous day. Draco tuned Voldemort out as he tried to come to terms with what had happened. But how on earth did he come to terms with the fact he'd killed a man? Because of him, an innocent man was dead, and Draco would never be able to forgive himself for that.

Mercifully after lunch, Draco was allowed to head back to his rooms. His mind in a whirl, Draco collapsed onto the sofa beside the fire. Even though he'd been hoping for the best, he'd been preparing himself for the worst, but all his preparation seemed useless now. Everything he'd been telling himself about doing what he was doing for Lyra, seemed to fade away as he thought about the fact either Fred or George was dead. Would it matter to the Weasleys that he'd done what he'd done to protect his daughter when they'd lost a son? Draco didn't think so, he thought they would hate him, and in his opinion they had every right. Could he really justify what he was doing, even if it was to keep Lyra safe?

The more he thought about things, the worse Draco felt. As he thought about what he'd already been forced to do, and what he could possibly be made to do in the future, he wondered how Hermione was dealing with it. Even though they kept in touch and she kept saying she still loved him, did she? Would she ever be able to cope, knowing what he'd done? Would Lyra ever be able to cope when she found out the truth, just what would his daughter think when she found out her father had turned into a murderer to protect her? Would she understand, or would she hate him?

"Or maybe they'd be better off if you weren't here," Draco whispered to himself as he slowly pulled his wand from his pocket. One quick spell would end everything, but would it make things better or worse for Hermione and Lyra?

Twirling his wand slowly in his fingers, Draco seriously thought about leaving his daughter and girlfriend behind. If he went through with it, Voldemort might lash out and snap Lyra's ribbon, but if Dumbledore was right, she would at least have a chance at being saved. At least then when all this was over, she wouldn't have to live knowing her father was a murderer and had killed someone his mother cared for. Then there was Hermione to think about, sure she would probably mourn him, but without him she would have a chance to move on and live a normal life. With him, there'd always be a reminder of what he'd done, but without him she wouldn't be tarred with the same brush. He would give the witch he loved and his daughter a chance to live a life without people hating them.

However, contemplating ending his life and actually doing it were two very different things, and Draco was still sitting twirling his wand in his fingers when his mother entered the room. Maybe he just wasn't strong enough to take the plunge and utter those two little words. Maybe his desire to see Hermione and Lyra again, outweighed his desire to end his pain.

"How are you?" Narcissa asked, joining Draco on the sofa.

"Not great," Draco replied quietly. "I've just discovered I'm a killer."

"No, you didn't mean to hurt him," Narcissa insisted as she reached over and plucked Draco's wand from his fingers. "And you're not going to hurt yourself, either."

"How did you know?" Draco asked.

"Because you're my son, and I know you too well," Narcissa replied softly as she wrapped her arms around Draco.

As he felt Narcissa start to cry, Draco suddenly realised what a mistake he'd almost made. In some ways, Hermione and Lyra might be better off without him, but they were still his family and he loved them more than anything. Then there was Narcissa to consider. She would be devastated if anything happened to him. He didn't want to cause his family even more pain, especially given what they were currently going through.

"I'm sorry," Draco whispered to his mother. "I promise I won't do it, no matter how bad things get."

"Make sure you don't," Narcissa replied with a sniff. "No matter how bad things get, you've got people who love and need you. Don't give up on Hermione and Lyra, they're waiting for you."

Draco nodded and swiped at a few stray tears of his own that had seeped out of his eyes. As he wondered how to switch the subject to something else, Tipsy suddenly appeared in front of them. With a quick hello, Tipsy handed over a letter before disappearing back to Hogwarts.

"Aren't you going to open it?" Narcissa asked when Draco just stared at the letter in his hand.

"I guess so," Draco replied with a frown.

To be honest he didn't want to open the letter and find Hermione had disowned him. However, he knew he had to open the letter. Taking a deep breath, he tore into the letter. When he read the contents, his emotions got the better of him and he softly began to cry.

"What's wrong?" Narcissa questioned in a panic.

Without saying a word, Draco handed his mother the letter from Hermione. Like her son, Narcissa started to cry when she read Hermione's words. Hermione had informed Draco that George wasn't dead, they'd merely faked his death to help ease some of the pressure off Draco. Apparently all the Weasleys, and a select few members of the Order, were in on the plan, and they all wanted to do what they could to help Draco get through his ordeal.

"I just can't believe it," Draco whispered as he wiped away his tears. "I can't believe they would do this for me."

"You better start believing it," Narcissa said. "Maybe this will show you that you're not alone. You and Hermione have a lot of support, so don't give up. We'll all get through this, just wait and see."

Feeling a bit more optimistic, not to mention extremely grateful, Draco took the letter he'd received from Hermione and took it into the bathroom to destroy. He then quickly wrote her a response and summoned Tipsy back to send it back to his girlfriend. After his brief moment of weakness, he was more determined than ever to survive whatever was thrown at him and get back to his family.


	24. Chapter 24

Once they'd made the decision to leave school with Hermione over Easter, the holidays couldn't come quick enough for Blaise and Theo. When they'd first informed Dumbledore of their plans, he'd been a bit wary, but when the two Slytherins had made it clear that they were sticking with Hermione and Lyra no matter what, he'd relented and agreed they could stay at Order headquarters. Aside from Dumbledore the only other person who know of the plan was Harry.

Blaise and Theo were pleased to see that Harry had finally stepped up to the mark and was supporting Hermione. In the last few weeks he'd been a constant presence in the head dorms, and they knew how much it meant to Hermione to have the support of the people she was closest to. They just hoped Harry would continue to be supportive when Ron was around again as the redhead still didn't seem ready to accept things the way they were.

In order to let the other Slytherins think Theo was still planning on going home, he'd packed his bag accordingly the last night of term. He and Blaise then had breakfast with the other Slytherins, but when the others made to go back down to the dungeons, Blaise and Theo headed towards the main staircase.

"Where are you two going?" Daphne demanded.

"I'm going to say goodbye to Hermione and Lyra," Theo said. "I'll see you lot on the train."

"Whatever," Pansy sneered. "Make the most of the mudblood when you can, you'll not be seeing her much longer. The Dark Lord will take you in hand."

"Yeah, yeah, Pans, whatever you say," Theo retorted as he headed upstairs with Blaise.

When the two Slytherins arrived in the head dorms, they weren't surprised to find Harry was already with his friend. Hermione's stuff was packed and next to the fire so they could leave once the Hogwarts Express had left. Hopefully the train would have left before the other Slytherins even realised Theo wasn't on board.

"Are you ready to go?" Harry asked the two Slytherins. He was also heading to Grimmauld Place with Hermione and the Slytherins, although he would be back after the holidays.

"Yeah, we just need to pack," Blaise answered. "We couldn't do it before in case anyone caught onto what we were doing."

"How quick can you pack?" Harry asked.

"As long as it takes to wave a wand," Theo replied with a laugh. "Seriously, we'll just grab everything and shove it in our trunks. We can sort it when we're settled."

"Yeah, we've just got to hope that no-one notices Theo isn't on the train before it leaves Hogsmeade," Blaise said.

"I can't see them missing me before then," Theo said. "Until the train leaves and I don't show up, they won't know I'm not there. By that time it will be too late for them to raise the alarm. They'll just have to wait until they get to London."

"And by that time, we'll be in hiding with Hermione and Lyra," Blaise added.

"It can't come soon enough," Hermione said. "I can't wait to get out of here."

"We'll be gone soon enough," Harry reassured Hermione, wrapping his arm around her. "In a few hours, you and Lyra will be safe."

"If only Draco was safe," Hermione sighed. "I wish we knew how he was holding up."

"Maybe Snape can go and see him over the holidays," Theo suggested.

"Maybe," Hermione said.

Wandering over to the window, she looked out to where she could just make out the steam coming from the Hogwarts Express. While the boys chatted on behind her, Hermione watched the train until it began to move. The second she spotted the train moving, she turned round to face the boys with a small smile on her face.

"It's going," she announced.

"That's our cue to leave," Theo said. "We'll be back in less than ten minutes."

"We'll start moving Hermione and Lyra's things through to headquarters," Harry said. "But we won't leave properly until you two return."

While Hermione kept an eye on Lyra, Harry began to ferry her stuff to Order headquarters. After the first trip, he returned with Sirius and together the two wizards moved everything back to Grimmauld Place.

"Thanks for this Sirius," Hermione said. "Are you sure you don't mind us all intruding?"

"It'll be nice to have company," Sirius answered. "Besides, it might cheer Remus up. He does nothing but mope around in his room, even the twins haven't been able to lighten his mood."

"Won't having us around just make things worse?" Hermione asked nervously. The last thing she wanted to do was cause Remus more pain, and she feared having her and Lyra around might remind him of how Tonks lost her life.

"No," Sirius said with a shake of his head. "The only time I've seen him smile in months was when I told him you and Lyra were coming to stay. I honestly think having the pair of you around will do him good."

"I hope so," Hermione replied, just as the door opened and Theo and Blaise entered with their trunks and bags.

"Is this everyone?" Sirius questioned Hermione.

"Yeah, this is everyone," Hermione confirmed.

"Thanks for having us," Blaise said, shaking Sirius's hand. "We appreciate it."

"We all appreciate what you've been doing for Hermione," Sirius returned. "It's good to know she's had support these last few months."

"And it's going to continue for as long as she needs us," Theo said.

Sirius nodded his approval, as he began shepherding everyone through to his house. Once everyone was safely in Grimmauld Place, he sent a message to Dumbledore, letting him know things had ran smoothly. He then followed the other back to his house and set about welcoming Hermione and the Slytherins to his house.

* * *

 **::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::**

* * *

"He's not on board," Pansy announced, flouncing back into the compartment where her friends were re-grouping.

It wasn't until the Hogwarts Express had pulled out of Hogsmeade that the Slytherins had realised Theo hadn't joined them. Of course, they thought he was just sulking in another compartment, but they'd searched the train and found no sign of him.

"We couldn't find him either," Crabbe added.

"Maybe he missed the train," Goyle suggested.

"Yeah, on purpose," Pansy snarled. "I bet he lingered up in the head dorms so he would miss the train."

"He's going to regret it," Daphne remarked. "The Dark Lord will be furious. I wouldn't put it past him to go up to Hogwarts and get him himself."

"Now that would be fun," Pansy cackled. "It would serve Theo right for siding with the mudblood."

"Not a wise move," Daphne agreed. "Luckily we all know where our loyalties lie."

Everyone nodded in agreement as the group settled down to enjoy their train ride back to London, each of them wondering just what would happen to Theo now he'd disobeyed an order that had clearly come from The Dark Lord himself.

* * *

 **::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::**

* * *

Hermione was surprised by how easy everyone settled into Grimmauld Place. Blaise and Theo had instantly hit it off with the twins, so Hermione wasn't worried about any tension in the house. Lyra had also seemed to settle quite nicely in the room Sirius had sorted for Hermione and her daughter. Hermione was hoping the fact she was going to be around full time would be beneficial for Lyra, and that her daughter would find it easier at Grimmauld Place than she had at Hogwarts.

After spending the morning getting settled into her room, Hermione ventured downstairs with Lyra to see what was going on. There was no sign of the twins, or Blaise and Theo, but Harry was sitting having a cup of tea with Sirius and Remus. Hermione could see at a glance how worn Remus looked, but he managed to give her a weak smile as she entered the kitchen.

"Hello, Hermione."

"Remus." Hermione smiled back at the werewolf. "How are you?"

"Coping," Remus replied as Sirius got up to make a cup of tea for Hermione. "And how are you?"

"Coping," Hermione answered with a wry smile as she sat down next to the wizard who'd done so much for her, Draco and Lyra. "I hope you don't mind us all intruding."

"It'll be nice to have people around," Remus said, reaching out and stroking Lyra's fine blonde hair. "Can I hold her?"

"Of course," Hermione said as she passed her daughter over to Remus.

Lyra instantly cuddled into Remus, clearly recognising his scent from when he was around her before. Hermione took her cup of tea from Sirius as she watched the interaction between her daughter and former Professor. Remus looked as though a weight had been lifted off his shoulders as he snuggled up with the young girl.

"The Weasleys will be over for dinner tonight," Harry told Hermione. "In fact, Ron and Ginny might turn up sometime this afternoon."

"That's handy, they can help me in the library," Hermione replied. "Especially if someone is willing to look after Lyra."

"Leave her with us," Sirius said, leaning over and pulling faces at the baby, making her giggle happily.

Hermione looked to Remus and he gave her a reassuring nod. "We'll be fine," he told her. "We're all here to help you, Hermione."

"Thanks, I appreciate it."

"So, what are you wanting to do in the library?" Harry asked. "I know you like books, but this sounds more than scoping out what reading material Sirius has to offer."

"I want to know more about the diadem of wisdom," Hermione answered. "The more I read, the more convinced I am that it's what we're looking for. However, I really think we need to find a picture. How are we ever supposed to find it without a picture?"

"What's this about a diadem?" Sirius asked with a puzzled frown.

Hermione suddenly worried if she'd said something she shouldn't, given she didn't know what various members of the Order knew about Voldemort's Horcruxes, but Harry gave her a reassuring smile. He then completely dismissed her worries, by telling Sirius and Remus all about their search for something belonging to Rowena Ravenclaw. Hermione still wasn't sure how much the two older wizards knew, but it was clear they knew enough to know they needed to find and destroy these magical object before they could defeat Voldemort.

"I wish I could help Hermione, but I have no idea if I have anything helpful in the library," Sirius said regretfully. "This won't surprise you, but I was never a big reader in my youth."

"I never would have guessed," Hermione chuckled. "Don't worry, I'd rather look through what you have myself anyway. If I'm lucky I might find myself some interesting books to read."

"And by interesting she means, old and dusty," Harry joked.

Hermione chuckled at Harry's joke, feeling at ease for the first time in months. Of course she was still worried about Draco and what he was going through, but it felt good to be at Grimmauld Place. In fact, she couldn't help but think that she should have made the switch when Draco had first been forced onto the dark. But then again, if she had, she might not have Blaise and Theo, and she valued the pair far too much at this point to think about having to cope without them.

Luckily for Hermione, she didn't have to cope without the two Slytherins and they soon made their presence felt along with the twins. After whipping up sandwiches for everyone, Hermione and the boys headed into the library, while Sirius and Remus took Lyra into the front room for the afternoon. Hermione was amazed by how at ease Lyra was with Sirius and Remus, but she still made them promise to call if she got restless.

"So what are we looking for again?" Fred asked as Harry filled them in on what they were doing.

"I want a picture of the diadem of wisdom, belonging to Rowena Ravenclaw," Hermione replied. "Also more information about it would be good."

"We're on it," George called as he and Fred disappeared into the dusty stacks.

Finding a few books for herself, Hermione settled down at the large table to read. Within ten minutes, everyone had returned with some books to scour. The six of them were all sitting reading when Ginny poked her head into the room.

"Room for a little one?" she asked with a grin.

"Ginny." Hermione jumped up and embraced the red-headed witch. "We've missed you."

"I've missed you too," Ginny replied. "And Lyra, but I've already had a quick cuddle off her. Although, I practically had to prise her out of Sirius's arms. Who knew he was such a fan of children?"

"I think Lyra's won over a few hearts," Hermione said with a smile. There was no doubt her daughter had a legion of fans, and she knew she never had to worry about people helping her out with Lyra.

"That's because she's adorable," Blaise said.

"Yeah, Fred and I can't wait to get to know her," George said with a grin as Ginny joined them at the table.

"No Ron?" Hermione asked, looking towards the door in case her other best friend was going to make an appearance.

Ginny shook her head. "Sorry, he's still being a git."

"What else is new?" Fred snorted. "He's been nothing but a pain in the arse for the last few weeks."

"Is this because of the whole act of pretending George is dead?" Theo asked.

"Yeah, he's not happy about it," George answered. "Although what it's got to do with him, I have no idea. I'm the one the world think they've lost. I'm the one in hiding. Not that I mind," he added, smiling at Hermione. "It's worth it, if it's helping Malfoy."

"He says, thank you by the way," Hermione said. "He was amazed that you would do this for him."

"You've spoken to him?" Fred asked in surprise.

"We send brief letters via Tipsy, Narcissa's personal elf," Hermione explained. "It's risky, but it's better than nothing. Last I heard, Voldemort's backed of a bit as he thinks Draco is starting to deliver on his darkness. But it won't last, sooner or later, he'll be forced to do something else."

"Well then, let's get cracking and find this diadem," Harry said. "The sooner we can find some information about it, the sooner we can find it and work out if Voldemort ever had it in his possession. Then all we have to do is track it down, and destroy it. Then on to the final confrontation."

"You make it sound so simple, Harry," Hermione said with a sigh.

She wished getting rid of Voldemort would be as easy as Harry had made it sound, but she knew they still had a long road ahead of them. It would be months before they were ready to face off with Voldemort for the final time, and that was if things went well and they hit no more hitches. A worst case scenario could see the war drag on for years, and all Hermione could do was hope and pray it didn't come to that. She didn't think she could cope with being separated from Draco for years, and she certainly didn't want Lyra growing up without her Daddy around.


	25. Chapter 25

Following the attack on Diagon Alley, and the news of George's 'death', Draco found himself with more time on his hands. The Dark Lord wasn't constantly wanting him to prove himself, and he'd given Draco a couple of free weeks where he wasn't needed. In fact since just after the attacks, Draco had barely seen Voldemort. He knew The Dark Lord was still staying at the manor, but neither he nor Bellatrix were around that much.

In those couple of weeks, Draco had also adopted a new positive mind set. Following his mini-meltdown, he vowed never to give into his dark thoughts again. He was going to have faith that everything was going to work out, and that he would be reunited with Hermione and Lyra. In fact he spent a lot of his time thinking about the future, and making plans for when they were finally free of Voldemort.

The first thing Draco wanted to do was ask Hermione to marry him. Even though they were a solid couple and along with Lyra, they were a family, he wanted to make it official. He wanted Hermione to be his wife. Another thing Draco had been thinking about was adding to their family. He didn't want Lyra to be an only child, he wanted her to have siblings to play with. In fact Draco had decided he wouldn't mind having another couple of kids, so he had the big, loving family he'd never had as a child.

Thinking of the future kept Draco sane in the weeks following the attack on Diagon Alley, but his thoughts drifted back to the present when the Easter holidays rolled round. He was worried about Theo, and what would happen to him once he was home and Voldemort wanted to see him. Draco wasn't really concerned with Blaise, as he doubted his other friend would have came home with Theo and there was no way anyone could make Blaise leave Hogwarts. However, it was a different story for Theo. Draco was just hoping that when Theo returned home, he wouldn't be forced into the same situation he was in. He would hate to think his best friend ended up being forced into being a Death Eater for supporting Hermione while Draco himself couldn't be there for her.

On the night Theo and the others were due home, Draco half expected Voldemort to call a meeting. However, Voldemort was nowhere to be seen that evening and it was just the three Malfoys for dinner. Draco didn't question Lucius about what was going on, but before he'd returned to his room, his father had informed him that he would be required by The Dark Lord the following day.

When Draco was summoned to one of the smaller living rooms the following morning, he knew it was about Theo and Blaise. However, when he entered the room he didn't expect to find several of his Slytherin friends and their fathers in the room. Pansy, Daphne, Crabbe and Goyle were all present with their fathers. However, Theo's father sat all alone, looking incredibly nervous.

"Take a seat, Draco," Lucius ordered as he followed his son into the room.

Aware that everyone was watching him curiously, Draco settled himself in a chair as far away from them all as he could manage. Judging by the looks he was receiving, it was fair to say the teenagers in the room were no longer his friends. Not that he was surprised by any of this in the slightest, as he'd always thought the only people who would stick by him would be Blaise and Theo.

"The Dark Lord will be here shortly," Lucius announced, giving Theo's father a pointed look.

Draco spotted the way Mr Nott nervously gulped, and he wondered what was going on with Theo. Had he just failed to come home, or had his father told him not to return? Draco knew Mr Nott was only a Death Eater these days because it was a choice he'd made years ago and he couldn't escape his fate. Unlike Lucius, his opinions had changed over the years, and if given the option he likely wouldn't have returned to serve Voldemort. As such, Theo hadn't grown up quite as bigoted as Draco, and it had been he and Blaise, along with his feelings for Hermione, that had shown Draco the error of his ways and helped him see things in a more rational light.

Draco was still wondering about the situation with Theo, when Voldemort swept into the room. Voldemort immediately scrutinised the four teenagers in the room, before his attention fell to Theo's father.

"Well Nott, where are they?" Voldemort demanded.

"Not here," Nott replied in a quiet voice. "The Zabini boy refused to accept our invitation, and Theo wasn't on the train. He was supposed to come home, but he failed to show."

"And you definitely sent for him?" Voldemort checked.

"Yes, My Lord," Nott replied. "I have no idea what's going on."

Voldemort was quiet for a few minutes as he studied Nott. Draco suspected The Dark Lord was reading Nott's mind as he scrutinised the other wizard. Eventually he seemed satisfied with what he'd found and with a nod he turned away from Nott and focused on the four teenagers.

"Can anyone shed some light on this situation?" Voldemort asked.

"We don't know where he is," Daphne answered after a moment's pause where it looked as though no-one was brave enough to speak directly to Voldemort.

"But we can guess," Pansy sneered, glancing in Draco's direction.

"Do guess, Miss Parkinson," Voldemort urged.

"The mudblood," Pansy spat. "Theo received his letter the same time we all did. He was also supposed to be coming home with us, but before the train left he went to see the mudblood and her brat. He must have missed the train."

"Indeed," Voldemort said with a nod. "But the question is, did he miss the train by accident, or was it deliberate?"

"If it was deliberate, he played us all," Daphne volunteered. "He'd been complaining about having to come home for weeks. He packed his bag like everyone else, and we all thought he would be on the train."

"Would your son deceive us like that?" Voldemort asked Nott.

"I don't know, My Lord," Nott replied fearfully. "All I know is that I told him to come home, and as far as I knew, he was arriving home last night with everyone else. I was shocked to find he wasn't on board the train."

"Have you contacted the school?" Lucius questioned.

"No," Nott replied. "But I will, if that's what The Dark Lord wishes me to do."

"I can handle this," Voldemort said. "Lucius, your arm please."

Lucius quickly rolled up his left sleeve and held his arm out in front of Voldemort. Removing his wand, Voldemort pressed the wood against Lucius's mark and under his breath whispered a name. Nodding to Lucius, he let the blond wizard take his arm back and cover it up, as he waited. Less than five minutes later a house elf rushed into the room, announcing that Snape was here.

"Show him in," Voldemort ordered.

The elf hastily backed out of the room, and returned a couple of minutes later with Snape. If Snape was surprised to see so many of his students, he didn't show it. Instead all his focus was on Voldemort, he didn't even give Draco a second glance as he lowered his head in deference to The Dark Lord.

"Severus," Voldemort greeted as Snape stood back up. "How are things?"

"The same as ever," Snape replied.

"I want to know about the Nott boy," Voldemort said. "And the Zabini boy. I hear they've been supporting Draco's mudblood."

"They have," Snape confirmed with a nod. "Since Draco left school, they've spent all their free time with Hermione and the baby."

"And you've allowed this?" Lucius questioned suspiciously.

"I can't dictate what my students do in their spare time," Snape replied snappishly. "I spoke to both Blaise and Theo in private and tried to dissuade them from associating with Hermione and the baby, but they didn't listen. There wasn't anything else I could do without arousing Dumbledore's suspicions."

"Severus is right, his hands were tied," Voldemort said with a nod. "But I would like to know if Theo is at school."

"I was under the impression he was going home for the holidays," Snape said, glancing towards Theo's father.

"We all were," Nott mumbled.

"He failed to disembark from the train," Voldemort told Snape. "In fact, it doesn't even look like he got on the train in the first place."

"I can go back to school and see if he's there," Snape offered. "I left that same morning, so I assumed he was on the train with the other students."

"Why did you leave?" Lucius questioned. "You don't take every holiday off."

"It wasn't my turn to stay at Hogwarts," Snape explained. "For the last couple of years, Dumbledore had operated a rota system due to arguments about some people having to do more work than others over the holidays. It just so happens, I have the Easter holidays free."

"In that case, I don't think it's wise for you to go back," Voldemort said. "Besides, I think it's obvious that since Theo isn't here, he's still at school."

"So you're just going to leave him?" Lucius questioned.

"I haven't decided yet," Voldemort replied with a casual shrug, even though he knew exactly what he was going to do about Theo. "Right now, my focus is on four more young people." Voldemort swept his gaze over the four teenagers, and Draco was disgusted to see the way they all sat up and preened at the attention. "I will give the four of you a choice. You can pledge allegiance to me right now, and I will give you the mark as painlessly as possible, or you refuse and you find yourselves in the same position as Draco. And also the same position young Mr Nott now finds himself in. I expect all of you to serve me, and I have no problems with forcing you to do so. However, I'm more than happy to let you willingly join me."

"I'll join," Pansy offered immediately.

"So will I," Daphne agreed.

Crabbe and Goyle also willingly agreed to join Voldemort and Draco watched in sick fascination as four people he'd once thought of as friends willingly had the Dark Mark branded on their left forearm. Surprisingly Voldemort was true to his word, and apart from a brief moment of pain, none of his former school mates seemed bothered by the mark being applied. They certainly weren't in the agony Draco had been when he was branded.

"You may go now," Voldemort said dismissing the teenagers and their fathers after he'd added concealing charms to the four teenagers' new marks. "Nott, I want you to stay. You may also go Severus, as can you Draco. Lucius, I think we'll retire to your study, we've got things to discuss."

Draco slowly rose to his feet as Voldemort swept out of the room with Lucius and Theo's father following after him. Unsure of how much time he would have with Severus, before Lucius or Voldemort realised they'd left them alone and returned to make sure they weren't talking, Draco approached his former Professor.

"How's Hermione and Lyra?" He asked.

"They're both perfectly safe," Snape reassured the young blond wizard. "Hermione's made the decision to leave school, and she's now at Order headquarters. Blaise and Theo are with her."

"So they're alright as well?" Draco checked with a relived sigh. At least now he knew Voldemort couldn't do anything to punish Theo.

"They're fine," Snape said. "How are you?"

"Better now they think I'm responsible for someone's death," Draco replied. "But it won't last. I've had a couple of weeks of doing nothing. Sooner or later, they're going to want me to do something again, and they're going to use Lyra to get me to do it. I just hate the thought of my little girl being in pain and I'm not there to help her."

"You're helping her by keeping yourself alive," Snape said. "Just focus on surviving, Draco. Leave everything else to the Order. You just make sure when this is all over, Lyra still has her father. I better be going before someone comes to check I've gone."

"Thanks," Draco said to his former Professor. "And when you see Hermione and Lyra, give them my love."

"I will," Snape vowed as the two wizards went their separate ways before anyone caught on and realised they'd been talking.

* * *

 **::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::**

* * *

After leaving the manor, Snape went home and stayed there for a few hours, before heading out to grab some bits and pieces. It was while he was out that he decided to call at the Order headquarters to see Hermione. Snape was never sure just how much Voldemort watched him when he was out of his sight, so he never headed to Order headquarters from his home, hence the small shopping trip before hand.

When Snape arrived at Grimmauld Place, he was given his normal frosty reception from Sirius and Remus. The pair were still sceptical about which side he was on, but Snape didn't care what the pair thought. He knew where his loyalties lay, as did Dumbledore and anyone else who mattered like Hermione and Draco.

"I've come to see Hermione," Snape explained to the two wizards he'd went to school with.

"Have you seen Draco?" Remus asked. He was always more civil than Sirius towards Snape, therefore Snape liked him marginally better than his friend.

"I have," Snape replied with a nod. "Which is why I want to see Hermione. I want to reassure her that he's coping."

"I'll go and get her," Sirius offered as he got to his feet. "I think they're all in the library again."

Despite his curiosity, Snape didn't ask who the all included, or what they were doing in the library. Not only did he doubt Sirius would tell him anything, but it was really better if he didn't know too much. He and Dumbledore had long since decided it was safer for everyone if Snape didn't know too much about what the Order were up to. Of course he knew enough to pass bits and pieces onto Voldemort, but they deliberately made sure he knew nothing major in case The Dark Lord used underhand tactics to get information from him.

A few minutes later, Hermione entered the room with Sirius. Much to Snape's surprise, there was no sign of Lyra, but Hermione mentioned she was being looked after by some of the others.

"It seems like she's gained dozens of uncles," Hermione chuckled. "Everyone is being great, and Lyra is loving all the attention."

"Nearly everyone is being great," Sirius corrected with a frown. Ron was still being offhand with Hermione and Lyra, and Sirius wasn't at all impressed with the teenager's attitude.

"I'm not going to worry about Ron," Hermione said with a dismissive wave of her hand. "If he wants to sulk, let him. I've got more important things to worry about. Like Draco. How is he?"

"He's coping," Snape replied. "The ruse with George gave him some breathing space."

"Good," Hermione said. "But it won't last, will it?"

"I doubt it," Snape said with a rueful smile. "In fact, I think The Dark Lord and Lucius are planning something as we speak."

"Any idea what?" Remus asked.

"Unfortunately, no," Snape said, shaking his head. "They went off in private to talk, but it might have something to do with Theo. Before that, Voldemort discovered that he didn't go home as he'd been told."

"Theo's safe here, isn't he?" Hermione checked, turning to Sirius and Remus.

"Yes, he's safe," Sirius said, placing a reassuring hand on Hermione's shoulder. "You all are. Whatever he's planning, Theo won't be involved."

"I'll let you know if I hear anything, but unless they're going to involve me directly, I'll probably not hear anything," Snape said.

"He really doesn't trust anyone, does he?" Remus remarked.

"He does actually," Snape corrected. "He trusts Lucius and Bellatrix. They both know practically everything that The Dark Lord is planning. As for everyone else, they're only told what they need to know."

"I wonder if we can get our hands on either of them," Sirius mused thoughtfully. "They could be a mine of information."

"And you honestly think either of them would talk?" Snape raised a sceptical eyebrow at Sirius. "I hate to tell you this, but they're totally committed to The Dark Lord. They'd both die before they betrayed him."

"I suppose you're right," Sirius conceded with a sigh. "But it would be so handy to have an inside track on what he's planning."

"It would, but all we can do is stay alert," Snape said as he rose to his feet. "I better be going in case I'm needed. But don't worry about Draco, Hermione. He's coping just fine. You concentrate on yourself and Lyra. Make sure he's got a family to come back to."

"I will," Hermione promised. "And thank you for coming to see me. It really helps knowing that he's coping."

With a brusque nod, Snape said his goodbyes and departed Grimmauld Place. He then headed back home, his mind firmly on the young couple torn apart by Voldemort and the war he'd waged on the wizarding world. Snape couldn't help but compare Draco and Hermione to himself and Lily, even though they were a proper couple whereas he'd lost that chance with Lily by lashing out when he was hurting. He just hoped that things ended better for them than it had for himself and the witch he loved. Hopefully Draco and Hermione would come through this ordeal stronger than ever, he certainly hoped so.


	26. Chapter 26

Draco sat on the balcony that led from his bedroom, sipping a cup of tea and staring out over the vast gardens of the manor as he contemplated what was going on with Voldemort. For the last couple of days, since The Dark Lord discovered Theo hadn't returned for the Easter break, Voldemort had been in constant meetings with Lucius and other several high ranking Death Eaters. Draco knew something was being planned, he just hoped it didn't end in Theo ending up getting hurt, or worse, killed.

Thinking about Theo, led to Draco thinking about Theo's father. Even though Draco didn't know Mr Nott that well, he found himself envious of his friend for having such a supportive father. Draco was in no doubt that somehow Theo's father had been involved in the decision of Theo's not to return home. There was no way Theo would have risked not coming home if he thought his father would end up paying for his rebellion. Clearly Mr Nott had managed to pass a message to his son, putting Theo and his safety above his own. Draco just wished his own father was more like that. Instead he was stuck with a man who would cold-heartedly threaten his own granddaughter, just to get what he wanted.

Draco shuddered at the thought of how easy his father had gone along with Voldemort's plan to kidnap and threaten Lyra. He wondered if his father had even put up a small argument about doing such a horrific thing, but his gut instinct told him that he hadn't. Knowing Lucius, he would have likely suggested the entire incident. As much as it pained Draco to admit it, his father was a monster and everyone would be better off if he were no longer around.

At the sound of his bedroom door opening, Draco was brought out of his thoughts. Turning around he half expected to find his father, so it was a relief when Narcissa was standing in the doorway.

"I knocked, but I got no response," she said.

"Sorry, I didn't hear," Draco replied. "Come in."

Narcissa passed through the bedroom, and settled down in a chair beside Draco on the balcony. "How are you doing?" she asked, taking in the gorgeous grounds spread out below them. There was a time nothing made her happier than seeing the manor's gardens bursting with new life in the spring time, but now she wanted to be anywhere but stuck in the manor with her husband and that monster he called Master.

"I was just thinking about Theo," Draco confided. He'd managed to tell Narcissa about Theo disobeying Voldemort's request to come home and the fact he and Blaise were safely with the Order alongside Hermione and Lyra.

"He'll be fine," Narcissa said, reaching out and giving her son's hand a reassuring squeeze.

"I hope so," Draco replied softly. "It was a big risk not coming home."

"It would have been an even bigger one coming home," Narcissa retorted. "Do you honestly think he would have been allowed to return to school if he'd come home?"

"Probably not," Draco admitted. "He would have been like me, forced into serving Voldemort. I'm sure that bastard would have found someone Theo loved in order to threaten him, maybe his mother or his father."

"Luckily, nothing like that happened," Narcissa said. "We have to have faith that Theo is now out of the reach of the dark."

"That won't stop them from trying to do something though," Draco pointed out. "They're up to something, and my gut says it involves Theo."

Narcissa opened her mouth to reply, but before she could utter anything there was a loud knocking on the bedroom door and Lucius sauntered into the room. Whatever he was going to say died on his lips as he spotted his wife and frowned at her.

"What are you doing here?" he snapped.

"Checking on my son," Narcissa replied. "Someone needs to make sure he's alright, and it's very obvious you don't care these days."

"Don't presume to know what I do and do not care about Narcissa," Lucius spat, his grey eyes flashing angrily. "Now leave us, Draco and I have places to be."

Narcissa glared at Lucius, desperate to argue, but knowing it wouldn't do any good. After a long moment, she got to her feet, gave Draco a peck on his cheek, vowed to speak to him later and swept out of the room and past Lucius without acknowledging her husband further.

"Women," Lucius muttered to himself, before he refocused on his son. "I want you in my office in ten minutes. Bring your cloak, we've got business to attend to."

"At lunchtime?" Draco queried. Apart from the recent attack on Diagon Alley, which had taken place in the late afternoon, all the other Death Eater shenanigans had taken place on an evening.

"Yes at lunchtime," Lucius replied, rather snappishly. "Now get ready Draco, and be in my office in ten minutes."

Leaving Draco to get himself ready, Lucius turned and stalked back out of his son's bedroom. With a feeling of dread already settling itself in the pit of his stomach, Draco got to his feet. Heading back into the bedroom, he closed the doors to the balcony before reluctantly getting himself ready for the latest task Voldemort was going to throw at him. Removing the black Death Eater robes from his wardrobe, he slipped them on over his normal clothes before heading down to his father's study.

When Draco entered Lucius's study, his anxiety level went up a few notches as Voldemort sat behind his father's desk, Lyra's ribbon spread out in front of him. Even though the ribbon seemed relatively untouched, Draco knew all that would change in a second if Voldemort thought he wasn't going to behave.

"Ah, Draco, from the looks of things I'm thinking I don't have to remind you just how much damage I can do," Voldemort said with a smirk as he picked up Lyra's ribbon and ran it through his fingers, crinkling it ever so slightly.

"No," Draco replied tersely, wishing he could snatch the ribbon from The Dark Lord in order to get him to stop hurting Lyra.

"Good." Voldemort nodded as he slid the ribbon back into his robes. "Now do as I say, and everything will be fine for your daughter. You and your father will join me in a few minutes, and when you do, I want you participating. If you don't got involved, you know what will happen."

"What am I participating in?" Draco asked.

"Just a raid," Voldemort replied with a slight smirk.

Draco knew better than to speak again as Voldemort checked Lucius knew what he was doing before he swept out of the study. Lucius reaffirmed that Draco was to take part in the attack, before he slid his silver Death Eater mask over his face. He then roughly took hold of Draco's arm and apparated them out of the manor.

When they landed, Draco was greeted by the screams and shouts of an attack already in progress. It took him a moment to get his bearings as Lucius let go of his arm, but when he did realise where they were, he was shocked. He was standing in the middle of Hogsmeade, with dozens of Death Eaters engaging in battle with the residents of Hogsmeade. Draco could see fire coming from the direction of The Three Broomsticks, and as he looked around he spotted several students from Hogwarts.

"Move," Lucius hissed, nudging his son in the back.

Looking around and spotting a couple of other Death Eaters watching him, likely Voldemort and Bellatrix, Draco drew his wand and slowly moved into the thick of the action. Luckily things were so frantic that Draco was able to slip into the crowds, casting a few minor spells to keep the heat off himself.

Much to Draco's displeasure he soon became a focal point in the battle as the students began to recognise him since he wasn't wearing a mask. Most of the students avoided him once they'd spotted him, but a couple of seventh years, Zacharias Smith and Justin Finch-Fletchley tried to take him on. Sensing Voldemort, or someone else was watching him, Draco was left with no choice but to battle his former classmates. Draco was easily able to get rid of Zacharias with a quick stinging hex that sent the Hufflepuff running off for help. Justin was a bit tougher to deal with, and even though Draco tried to let the other wizard know he wasn't the enemy, he wasn't listening. Justin was determined to take Draco down.

After almost ten minutes of fighting, Draco was beginning to get frustrated. It was rather hard battling someone when you didn't want to hurt them, but they wanted to hurt you. However, Draco was determined that Justin would come out of their battle perfectly intact. Although he did have to get Justin out of the way if he didn't want anyone questioning why he was fighting someone for so long with no result. Deciding the best thing to do was knock Justin out, Draco quickly shot a stunning spell at the other teenager.

"Nice," a voice behind Draco called with a chuckle. Draco felt cold as his aunt stepped up beside him, hidden behind her mask. "Don't tell The Dark Lord, but you can have this one on me," she whispered, before raising her wand and pointing it at the unconscious Justin. "Avada Kedavra!"

Draco gasped with horror as the green light hit Justin squarely in the chest. Before he could react, Bella was reminding him not to tell Voldemort she'd actually been the one to kill Justin, before she dragged him off to another part of the battle. In a daze, Draco carried on taking part in the battle without actually getting too involved. By this time several of the Professors from Hogwarts were down in the village, along with even more students and members of the Order. For a moment, Draco thought he saw the red hair of Ron Weasley, but before he could be sure, Lucius was at his side.

"Time to go," his father announced, spiriting him out of action and back to the manor.

Draco was still reeling from events when Voldemort and Bellatrix appeared in his father's study. Voldemort told Draco he'd done well, before dismissing the blond teenager. As he was leaving Lucius's study, Draco caught Voldemort moaning that the plan hadn't worked, they hadn't drawn Theo and Blaise out from Hogwarts. However, he didn't hear any more as Lucius slammed the door shut for privacy.

Returning to his room, Draco thought about what he'd just heard. Clearly the attack on Hogsmeade had been a ruse to draw his friends out. Obviously Voldemort thought the pair were still up at school, and he'd clearly been hoping to catch them in the midst of the attack. Although, now that had failed Draco had to wonder what their next step was going to be. He couldn't see Voldemort just sitting back and accepting that Theo was out of reach. Knowing The Dark Lord, this attack on Hogsmeade was just the beginning.

Draco had barely set foot in his bedroom, when Narcissa appeared. She'd clearly been worried about her son and waiting for him to come back.

"Are you okay?" she checked as Draco threw off his Death Eater robes.

"Not really," Draco confessed in a quiet voice. "The attack was on Hogsmeade."

"I'm sorry," Narcissa said, sensing there was more her son wasn't yet telling her. "That must have been hard on you."

"It was," Draco whispered. "I had to fight two people I knew."

"Friends?" Narcissa checked.

Draco shook his head as he sat down on the edge of his bed. "Not friends. Two lads from Hufflepuff. I got rid of one of them with a simple hex, but the other one was determined to take me down. In the end I stunned him."

"That's not too bad," Narcissa offered. She could understand Draco being upset at having to fight people he knew, but things could be a whole lot worse.

"It wasn't until Aunt Bella made an appearance," Draco said.

"What did she make you do?" Narcissa demanded, furious at her sister for joining in with Voldemort and her husband. Of course, by now she didn't expect anything less of Bellatrix and she knew her true loyalties lay with The Dark Lord.

"She didn't make me do anything," Draco replied. "She came up beside me and casually killed him. I might not have killed him, but he's dead because of me. If I hadn't stunned him, Bella couldn't have killed him."

"This is not your fault, Draco." Narcissa grabbed hold of Draco's chin and tilted her son's head so he was looking at her. "You did nothing to that boy, it was all Bella. You cannot blame yourself for what anyone else does."

"It's hard not to when I feel responsible for everything that is happening," Draco confessed. "Everything is my fault."

"How is this your fault?" Narcissa asked. "From where I stand, the fault lies with your father and that awful wizard he serves."

"I gave them leverage," Draco argued. "Without Lyra, they never could have gotten me to join them."

"Your regret your daughter?"

Draco quickly shook his head at his mother's question. "Never. I love her and Hermione more than anything. I just regret they were able to use her as leverage."

"Don't fool yourself into thinking this is all because of the leverage Lyra provided them," Narcissa warned her son. "I think we were foolish to think we could ever walk away from the dark. This was always going to happen. Your father was always going to suck you into this life of his. They were able to use Lyra to do it, but they would have used other methods if they needed to."

"Like you," Draco whispered.

"Like me," Narcissa confirmed with a nod of her head. "Don't blame yourself, Draco. We just have to deal with whatever comes our way and find a way to cope."

Draco nodded, wishing it was as easy as his mother made it sound. Finding a way to cope was alright for now, but what happened once all this was over. How was he supposed to live with everything that had happened in the past few months? How was he supposed to live, knowing people were dead because of him?


	27. Chapter 27

Even though everyone knew Theo and Blaise were perfectly safe at Grimmauld Place, there was an air of tension in the house for the first few days of the holidays. Following Snape's visit at the beginning of the holidays they knew Voldemort was aware that Theo hadn't gone home as ordered, and they were just waiting for his retaliation. No-one honestly thought The Dark Lord would just let Theo's absence slide, so the question became, what was he going to do about it?

Since worrying and speculating about what Voldemort was going to do wasn't helping anyone, Hermione had tried to keep people focused on the research they'd began at the beginning of the holidays. They'd managed to find a few good books in the library, and Hermione was hoping one of them would provide them with the answers they were looking for. So instead of worrying, Hermione and the others spent their time hanging out and doing research.

Even though she wasn't staying at Grimmauld Place full time, Ginny was there every day to lend a hand. More often than not Molly was also around the house, but Ron had only made a couple of fleeting appearances. Every time he arrived at Grimmauld Place, he had something nasty to say about Draco or the Slytherins, so Harry had eventually told him to stay away until he could say something nice. The result was a couple of Ron free days at Grimmauld Place.

"I'm really not sure we're going to find anything," Blaise grumbled as he threw yet another book to one side as it had proved useless.

As usual, everyone was gathered in the library to do their research. Molly had also arrived when Ginny had shown up that morning, and she'd offered to look after Lyra. That meant Hermione was free to help with the research while her daughter was being fussed over by Molly, Sirius and Remus in the front room.

"I know what you mean," Hermione reluctantly conceded. "None of these books really have any sort of connection to Rowena Ravenclaw."

"Maybe we need to know more about her, so we know where to look for books about her," Theo suggested.

"Does anyone know anything about her?" Fred asked.

Unsurprisingly, no-one knew anything of any significance about her. They all knew the basics, that she'd founded Hogwarts alongside Salazar Slytherin, Helga Hufflepuff and Godric Gryffindor. They knew what sort of attributes she looked for in youngsters to teach, which led to those same attributes being what led a person to be sorted into Ravenclaw these days. However, that was all anyone knew about her.

"Now if you were to ask me about Salazar Slytherin, I could tell you a bit more," Blaise said.

"Same with me and Godric Gryffindor," Harry said.

"Shame we didn't know any Ravenclaws," George said with a chuckle. "They might be able to help us out."

"I know a Ravenclaw," Ginny offered.

"We all know Ravenclaws, Gin," Fred said to his sister. "But we don't know them well enough to trust them with something so important. Even though we can't tell them what we're doing, we need to trust them not to tell everyone we're researching Rowena Ravenclaw."

Ginny gave her brother an unimpressed glare. "I know that. I'm not an idiot. I mean, I know a Ravenclaw we can trust. Luna Lovegood."

"Of course," Harry gasped, hardly able to believe he'd forgotten about Luna. Ginny had introduced them to her friend, Luna in their fifth year, and she'd helped them form the short lived Dumbledore's Army. "We can trust Luna."

"Really?" Theo questioned with a frown. "The peculiar blond girl who wears vegetables as jewellery?"

"Luna's a bit eccentric, but she can be trusted," Hermione said. "Ginny, can you talk to her when you go back to school. She could maybe just give us a push in the right direction."

"Of course I can," Ginny answered. "Do you want me to mention the diadem? Knowing Luna, she'll have a theory on where it is."

"You can mention it, but she doesn't need to know it's where our main focus is," Harry decided. "Ask about Rowena Ravenclaw, and maybe just slip something casual in about the diadem."

"Will do," Ginny replied with a smile.

"So, does that mean we're finished here?" Fred asked, gesturing to the few books they'd yet to look through.

"I think so," Hermione answered. "I still want to check through the books, but I can do that on an evening after I've put Lyra down for the night."

"Since we're finished here, who wants to see if we can grab some lunch?" George asked. "We can then maybe settle down to play some cards."

"Sounds good to me," Theo said with a grin as the group got up and headed to the kitchen.

Of course Molly was more than happy to feed everyone, and she whipped up sandwiches for all. While Molly was sorting everyone else, Hermione sorted Lyra's lunch. However, halfway through lunch, Lyra began to cry and show signs of discomfort.

"Is this You-Know-Who's doing?" Fred asked as Hermione tried her best to soothe Lyra. He'd never witnessed Lyra acting so cranky, so he was figuring it had something to do with the power Voldemort held over her.

"I think so," Hermione answered.

"Do you want us to contact, Madam Pomfrey?" Sirius checked, wishing there was something he could do to help calm Lyra.

"Not unless she gets worse," Hermione said as she gently rocked her daughter, trying to calm her down. "There's nothing anyone can do for her. We just have to try and comfort her and hope it doesn't get too bad."

Fortunately, Lyra's distressed cries soon faded to slight whimpers. Even though she'd calmed down, Hermione kept her daughter in her arms as everyone settled down in the front room. Lyra's distress had also created an air of worry in the house, as everyone's minds were on Draco and what he'd been forced to do now. However, since they couldn't do anything without knowing what was going on, they carried on with their plans for spending a relaxing afternoon together. The twins, Blaise, Theo and Harry set up a card game, Molly got out her knitting, Sirius and Remus sat watching the boys game, while Ginny curled up with Hermione and the pair focused their attention on Lyra.

Unfortunately, their afternoon was disturbed after less than ten minutes when a silver lynx patronus, belonging to Kingsley, burst into the room. Kingsley's patronus quickly departed a message about an attack on Hogsmeade, and requested help, before it disappeared.

"We need to go," Sirius declared as he jumped to his feet alongside Remus.

"I'm coming," Harry declared.

"Me too," Fred added. "Sorry George, but you'll have to stay here."

"I would rather everyone stayed here," Molly said. "I'm sure the rest of the Order can handle things."

"Sorry Molly, but I have to go," Harry said.

Fred also wouldn't be dissuaded from leaving, so Molly had no choice but to let the pair accompany her, Sirius and Remus as they headed to Hogsmeade. Hermione briefly did debate accompanying them, but she decided she would rather stay with her daughter. Obviously George couldn't leave since he was supposed to be dead, and Blaise and Theo weren't going to leave Hermione and Lyra's side, and Molly was adamant that Ginny was also going to stay behind.

After Harry and the others left, there was an anxious wait for news. Hermione kept a close eye on Lyra in case she was suffering again, but she was just a bit restless as though she could sense the tension in the air.

"Do you think this is my fault?" Theo asked eventually, breaking the heavy silence in the room.

"Why would this be your fault?" Ginny asked with a frown.

"I don't suppose it's a coincidence that I didn't go home, and now Hogsmeade is being attacked. You-Know-Who probably thinks I'm still at Hogwarts," Theo replied. "This whole attack could be to try and draw me out."

"This isn't your fault, Theo," Hermione insisted. "You can't blame yourself for other people's actions. Voldemort and his Death Eaters are the only people to blame for whatever happens in Hogsmeade this afternoon."

"Let's just hope whatever it is, it isn't too bad," Theo muttered as silence once again fell as everyone lost themselves in their own thoughts.

As the afternoon started to draw on, the group began to get increasingly nervous. Not knowing what was going on was killing them, and they were desperate for news. Hermione had thought about trying to settle Lyra in her cot, but she didn't want to be parted from her daughter. She didn't know if Voldemort was going to use Lyra to try and get Draco to do something for him, so she didn't want to risk leaving her daughter alone.

Just as the group were wondering if there was anyway one of them could try and find out what was happening, they heard sounds coming from the front hallway. The sounds were clearly people apparating into the house, and they were relieved when Harry and Fred were the first two into the front room.

"We were so worried," Ginny cried, hugging both Harry and Fred as Ron stalked into the room behind the pair.

"Is everyone okay?" George asked.

"No, they're bloody well not," Ron spat before Harry or Fred had the chance to answer.

"There were casualties?" Hermione gasped. "Who?"

"A few people from the village," Harry answered.

"Don't forget Justin," Ron snarled, causing Hermione and Ginny to gasp in shock. "Or were you not going to mention him?"

"Of course I was going to mention Justin," Harry told Ron.

"I thought you might be going to pretend it hadn't happened," Ron sneered. "Given who killed him."

"We don't know who killed him," Harry retorted.

"Of course we do," Ron snorted. "Zacharias Smith told us that Justin was fighting Malfoy. It's clear he killed him."

"No," Hermione hissed angrily, causing Lyra to start to cry in her arms. "Draco wouldn't kill anyone."

"Of course he wouldn't," Blaise agreed, as he wrapped his arm around Hermione while Theo plucked Lyra from her arms and started to calm her. "Draco will have done what he could to survive, no more. He wouldn't have killed anyone."

"So you say," Ron snapped. "But I know what Zacharias told me. Malfoy attacked him and Justin, and he was still fighting Justin when Zacharias managed to escape. Then what do you know, by the time he'd found help, Justin was dead. It's very simple to connect the dots."

"It's very simple for people like you to twist things to paint the picture you want," Blaise snapped. "You don't know Draco like we do. He isn't capable of killing anyone."

"Justin's dead body says otherwise," Ron replied. "You lot can defend him all you want, but I know the truth. He's a killer, and I intend to make sure he gets what he deserves when all this is over. Hermione, I hope you and your brat have some memories of your killer boyfriend, because you're never going to see him again."

Ron's announcement was met by angry protests from everyone, including his three siblings. Blaise nearly lunged for the redhead, but he was held back by Hermione.

"Get out," Harry hissed, glaring at Ron. "You're not welcome here."

"You're throwing me out?" Ron looked at Harry in disbelief.

"Yes," Harry said. "Now get out, before we throw you out."

"And we will," George said firmly.

Ron's gaze flicked to both Fred and Ginny, but when he got no support from them, he turned and stormed out of the house. The second Ron left, Hermione sank down on a nearby chair and let the tears fall.

"Don't cry, Hermione," Ginny soothed, sitting down next to her friend. "No-one else thinks like Ron. No-one believes Draco killed Justin."

"You might not, but other people might think like Ron," Hermione said quietly.

"Then they're not worth bothering with," Harry said, perching on the other side of his best friend. "And don't worry about Ron's threat, it was meaningless. I promise, I won't let anything happen to Malfoy. Dumbledore promised he would defend him after the war, and I'm adding my support. I promise you Hermione, you won't lose him."

"Thanks Harry," Hermione said, smiling up at her friend as she swiped at the tears staining her face. "In fact, I want to thank all of you. I don't know what Lyra and I would have done without you."

"Luckily, you don't have to find out," Blaise said, grinning down at his best friend's girlfriend. "We're all here for you, and we'll all help you through this."

Hermione smiled gratefully at the group of friends surrounding her as she got to her feet and plucked Lyra from Theo's arms. Telling her friends she wanted some time alone, she took Lyra upstairs and gave her daughter a bath. A couple of hours later she was sitting curled up in the rocking chair in her room, reading to Lyra, when there was a knock on the door and Harry poked his head into the room.

"Can I come in?" He asked.

"Sure," Hermione replied with a smile. "Did I hear Remus and Sirius come back?"

"Yeah, they're both downstairs," Harry replied as he perched on the bottom of Hermione's bed. "Molly was here, but after she heard about Ron she went home to deal with him. She wanted me to tell you that no-one else in the family think the same way. No-one thinks Malfoy is a killer, and no-one wants to punish him. We all know he's been forced to do all these things."

"Thanks," Hermione replied softly.

"But that's not all that's bothering you, is it?" Harry asked, picking up that there was something else niggling at Hermione.

"No, it's not," Hermione confessed. "Don't get me wrong, I'm saddened that Ron won't support me, but I can cope with that. What I'm struggling to cope with is dealing with what Draco is going through. I can't stop myself thinking about what he must be forced to do, and I can't help but wonder if I've already lost him."

"What do you mean?"

Hermione got up and settled Lyra down in her cot for a nap, before she joined Harry at the bottom of the bed. Leaning her head on his shoulder, she felt a few stray tears leak from her eyes as she confessed the fears she'd been holding onto since Draco was forced to take the Dark Mark.

"He has to be different," she whispered. "He's been forced into doing terrible things, and that has to have changed him. What if the Draco who comes back to me, isn't my Draco any more?"

"You're worried that you won't love him?" Harry questioned.

"No," Hermione replied with a shake of her head. "I'll always love him. I'm worried that even if we both survive this war that Voldemort will have still won in his attempts to separate Draco from me and Lyra. I'm worried that no matter what, he's damaged Draco beyond help. I'm not getting the same wizard back, am I?"

"No, you're not," Harry said with a sigh, deciding it was better to be up front with Hermione. "Because you're right. This experience will have changed Malfoy."

"Way to cheer me up, Harry," Hermione muttered.

"I could tell you what you want to hear, that everything will go back to how it was. But that would be a lie," Harry said. "We both know, things have changed for you and Malfoy. He'll be affected by this, but so have you. You'll also not by the same witch he left behind. You've been forced to become a single mother and give up your education, all while worrying about the man you love. You've both suffered, just in different ways."

"So what, you think we're doomed?" Hermione asked and Harry could see more tears sparkling in his best friend's eyes. It seemed he'd seen Hermione cry more in the last few months than he had in all the time he'd known her.

"No, I don't think that," Harry said, giving Hermione a warm smile as he hugged her closer to him. "I don't think you're going to have things easy, but I don't think this is the end. If anything, this could make you even stronger as a couple. You just need to be prepared for the fact things won't just go back to how it was before. You're both going to be scarred from the past few months, but you can deal with those scars together."

"Are we strong enough for that?" Hermione whispered.

"Only you and Malfoy can answer that," Harry said softly. "But from what I've seen, I would say so. I think as long as you love each other, and there's no doubt that you do, you can get through anything together."

"Thank you, Harry," Hermione said, snuggling into her best friend. "You're right, we can get through this. Especially with good friends like you at our side."

"I'm not going anywhere," Harry replied, dropping a kiss to the top of Hermione's head. "No matter what happens Hermione, you're stuck with me. I love you like a sister, and I will always be there for you and Lyra."

"And Draco?" Hermione asked.

Harry nodded. "And Malfoy," He agreed. "I'll be there for all three of you."

Sitting in Harry's arms, Hermione felt some of her fears drift away. Harry was right, things were going to be hard for her and Draco. But he was also right in the fact that they could face things together and emerge stronger. There and then she vowed that it was going to take more than Voldemort to tear her family apart.


	28. Chapter 28

Following the attack on Hogsmeade, Draco was a bag of nerves as he waited to see what The Dark Lord's next move would be. He'd heard enough to know the attack on Hogsmeade was to draw Blaise and Theo out of Hogwarts, and he knew Voldemort wouldn't stop there. However, for the rest of the holidays The Dark Lord made no more moves to try and get his hands on Draco's two friends. Draco suspected he was waiting until everyone went back to school so that the other Slytherins could fill him in on what Blaise and Theo were up to. Although that idea would also cause problems, as Draco knew neither of his friends were still at Hogwarts. Now, it was just a waiting game to see what Voldemort would do when he discovered that Theo and Blaise had slipped through his clutches.

On the day school restarted, Draco was nervous all day as he waited for word to get back to Voldemort about his missing friends. Surprisingly, the day passed without incident, as did breakfast the following morning. It was nearly midday before Draco spotted an owl flying towards the manor, from his vantage point sitting on the balcony of his bedroom. Of course he wasn't sure if the owl was from Hogwarts until The Dark Lord's loud bellow of rage sounded throughout the manor.

"What on earth?" Narcissa asked, jumping slightly at the sound of Voldemort's anger. She'd been sitting with Draco, trying to ease his nerves, but her son was still clearly worried about his friends.

"I'm guessing he knows Blaise and Theo have gone," Draco replied in a quiet voice. He'd already informed Narcissa that his friends were safe, as he knew she's also been worrying about them.

"I wonder what will happen now," Narcissa mused.

"He's not going to give up," Draco said sadly. "But I guess we'll have to wait and see what his next move is."

Less than ten minutes later they discovered The Dark Lord's next move as Lucius appeared in Draco's room, informing him Voldemort wished to speak to him. Draco took a few moments to shut down his nerves, and becoming the stoic wizard his father had taught him to be from a young age. He also took a few minutes to lock his thoughts about Blaise and Theo out of his mind. His mother had taught him some occlumency way back when Voldemort first came back, so he knew how to hide his thoughts. However, he didn't know if he was skilled enough to keep everything a secret if The Dark Lord thought he was lying to him and really made an effort to get into his head. He was just hoping he could persuade Voldemort that he knew nothing and keep him from delving deeper into his mind.

When Draco and Lucius arrived in Lucius's study, Voldemort was angrily pacing the floor while Bellatrix sat perched on Lucius's desk. Draco could feel the anger coming off Voldemort, and he felt a shiver of apprehension run down his spine. In this mood, the dark wizard was pretty unreadable and Draco was worried in case he snapped and did something rash like destroy Lyra's ribbon.

"Get off my desk, Bella," Lucius snapped, practically pushing his sister-in-law off his neat desk.

Bellatrix glared at Lucius, and instead settled herself down in the comfortable chair behind the desk. Draco could see his father preparing to yank Bellatrix out of his chair, but just then Voldemort stopped his pacing and turned his fierce red eyes on the two Death Eaters. Draco couldn't see what sort of look he gave them, but it had them both dropping the animosity towards each other and moving to the two seats in front of Lucius's desk. Voldemort then settled himself in Lucius's chair, and finally turned his attention towards Draco.

"Do come in Draco," Voldemort said, beckoning to the teenager who was still hovering just inside the doorway.

Slowly Draco moved forward so he was standing in front of Lucius's desk, in between the two chairs containing his father and his aunt.

"Do you know why I've called for you?" Voldemort asked, leaning back in his chair and studying the blond boy in front of him.

"No, My Lord," Draco replied.

"I've just had a very interesting letter from Miss Parkinson," Voldemort said in a low growl. "It would appear your friends, Zabini and Nott, have left Hogwarts."

"Left?" Draco frowned, doing his best to appear surprised by the news. "What do you mean, left?"

"I mean, they've gone," Voldemort replied. "Vanished. Their belongings have gone, and apparently none of the Professors know where they've went."

"They've ran away?" Draco said, framing his words as more of a question.

"Possibly," Voldemort said, giving Draco a thoughtful look. "Although they're not the only ones gone from school. Your mudblood tart and her brat are also missing."

Despite the fact Voldemort and Lucius always referred to Hermione and Lyra in derogatory terms, Draco still couldn't help but react. Almost subconsciously, his face transformed into an angry glare, before he regained control and pushed down his emotions. However, he knew Voldemort always saw his anger, which was likely why he continued to call Hermione a mudblood whenever she was mentioned.

"You don't seem worried," Voldemort noted. "You were expecting this?"

"Honestly, yes," Draco replied, making sure his voice didn't betray how much he wanted to hurt Voldemort for speaking badly about the witch he loved and the daughter he cherished.

"You've been in contact with her?" Lucius snarled angrily.

Draco turned his head slightly and gave his father an unimpressed glare. "And how would I do that? I've been stuck her for the last few months with no contact with the outside world."

"Then why aren't you surprised?" Voldemort asked, regaining the young wizard's attention.

"Hermione wasn't sure about going back to school after she'd had Lyra in the first place," Draco explained. "But now she's alone, I'm guessing it's too much for her to cope with looking after Lyra and still trying to attend classes. To be honest, I'm surprised she didn't leave as soon as I did."

"And just where do you think your little tart would go with her half breed brat?" Voldemort asked, smirking happily as Draco showed yet another glimpse of his anger. Normally the boy was quite good at controlling his hatred for him, but every time his girlfriend or daughter was mentioned, his mask slipped and Voldemort got to see just how much Draco still despised him. However, he wasn't worried as he held all the cards, and there was nothing Draco could do to free himself from the prison he'd found himself in.

"I'm not sure," Draco replied carefully. The last thing he wanted was to mention someone and send Voldemort after them.

"The Order?" Bellatrix questioned.

"Possibly," Draco said. "We never spoke about the Order, but she's obviously got ties to them."

"You never spoke about joining them?" Lucius asked with a disbelieving cackle. "Even when you knocked her up? You never considered joining the Order."

"No," Draco replied. "Mother and I thought we were safe."

"Yet you had Order members staying with you," Voldemort pointed out. "You and your mother must have gone to the Order."

"They were there for Hermione," Draco insisted. "She confided in Dumbledore and he agreed to help her. Mother and I never joined the Order, or spoke about how we could help them."

Voldemort was silent for a couple of minutes, while he studied Draco, before he nodded his head. "Fine. We'll leave that for now. But back to your mudblood. Do you think she's with the Order?"

"More than likely," Draco admitted, knowing he had no other choice but to agree with Voldemort's logic. "It's not like she's got any family any more, is it?"

"No, I don't suppose she does," Voldemort said with a dark laugh that sent chills down Draco's spine. "So the mudblood and her brat is with the Order. What about young Nott and the Zabini boy?"

"What about them?" Draco asked. "I haven't had contact with either of them since I left Hogwarts."

"Maybe not, but they're been awfully protective of the mudblood and her daughter," Voldemort replied. "And now all of them are gone from Hogwarts. Do you really expect me to believe that Nott and Zabini would have left her? No, they're with her, I know they are."

"I wouldn't know," Draco replied with a shake of his head. "It's a possibility, I suppose. Or they could have left when Hermione told them she wasn't going back to school. Since I'm not there, I really don't know what's going on."

"Really?" Voldemort questioned, before abruptly launching himself into Draco's head.

Draco winced at the brutal intrusion, but he remained calm and after less than five minutes he felt Voldemort withdraw. Looking at the dark wizard, he had no idea if he'd found anything to contradict what he'd been telling him. Voldemort had a good poker face, and at the moment Draco was getting nothing from him.

"You may leave," Voldemort suddenly announced.

"Yes, My Lord," Draco replied, knowing better than to ask why he was suddenly dismissed. "Thank you, My Lord."

After bowing his head in a gesture of respect everyone in the room knew he didn't mean, Draco hurried out of his father's study and back towards his bedroom. He had a bad feeling building in the pit of his stomach, and he just knew something terrible was going to happen. He just didn't know if the terrible thing was going to happen to him, or if it was going to happen to someone else he cared about.

When Draco returned to his room, Narcissa was waiting for him. More than likely she hadn't left the room as she waited to see what had happened with her son.

"They know," Draco whispered.

"Know what?" Narcissa asked warily.

"That Blaise and Theo are gone," Draco answered. "They also know Hermione and Lyra are gone as well."

"And they think they're all together," Narcissa surmised.

"Of course they do," Draco replied. "And I don't think they're going to let it lie. I think they're going to go after the Order, since that's where they think they are."

"We should warn them," Narcissa said.

"No, not yet," Draco said. "I think they suspect I'm still in contact with Hermione. They might be watching us. We can't tip them off about Tipsy. I think for the time being its best if we don't use her."

"And what about the Order?" Narcissa asked quietly. "If an attacks coming their way, they need to be prepared."

"They do," Draco agreed. "But I just can't risk him finding out I'm in contact with Hermione. He would go ballistic, and he might destroy Lyra's ribbon. I'm sorry, but unless we can think of some other way of contacting them, they're on their own for the moment. I have to put Lyra first. Besides, they should be well protected. Hermione promised me that no-one could get to her and Lyra, and since Blaise and Theo are with them, they're also safe. We just have to hope the rest of the Order are as safe and they won't get hurt in the crossfire."

* * *

 **::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::**

* * *

Following Draco's departure, there was a moment of silence in Lucius's study, until Bellatrix broke it by getting to her feet.

"So what now?" she asked. "I think it's clear the most likely explanation is that Nott and Zabini are with the mudblood and the Order."

"Yes, that does seem to be the case," Voldemort said with a thoughtful nod.

"Do you think Draco already knew they were gone?" Lucius asked The Dark Lord.

"He's your son, Lucius, what do you think?" Voldemort countered.

"I think he's an embarrassment," Lucius snarled. "I thought I'd raised him right, but clearly something went wrong along the way. These days I don't trust him at all. For all I know he's still in contact with that mudblood bitch."

"I don't think so," Voldemort said quietly. "I believe him when he says he didn't know about his friends. As for him being an embarrassment to you Lucius, that will all change once he truly joins us."

"That won't happen," Lucius snorted, thinking about everything Narcissa had told him the night she and Draco got back to the manor. At the time he'd dismissed her words, thinking that he could turn Draco back into a son he could be proud of, but the more time that was passing the more he was coming to realise that his wife had been right and he'd never had any hope of turning Draco to the dark. "I hoped that being involved with us, and getting his hands dirty would show him what he was truly capable of, but we all know he's holding back. He won't commit to us, his heart still lies with the light."

"Then it's time we snipped those heart strings," Voldemort announced. "It's time we ended his hope of ever being free of us."

"You're going to kill the mudblood and her half-breed brat?" Bellatrix questioned in obvious delight.

"I am," Voldemort confirmed with a nod. "Along with the Nott and Zabini boys. They all need to go."

"But how will you then keep Draco in line?" Lucius asked. He was well aware that without the leverage of his daughter, Draco would not be doing as they asked. He would have likely refused and gotten himself killed.

"His daughter is not the only one he loves," Voldemort replied with a casual shrug. "We have his mother in our possession. And even though he might rebel after the death of the mudblood and her child, he won't risk his mother's life. Once we've disposed of his outside ties, we will then use Narcissa to control him."

"Let's hope it works," Lucius said, not at all bothered at the thought of using his wife as it had been clear for a long time that the witch he'd loved had turned soft and abandoned him. Although he wasn't really sure if they would hold enough sway over Draco just by using Narcissa, but he had to trust The Dark Lord's judgement and hope he was proved right.

"For it to work, we need to do things right," Voldemort said. "Firstly, I need to speak to both Nott and Severus."

"Why Severus?" Bellatrix asked.

"I need to know what the staff have been told about the departures of Draco's friends," Voldemort answered. "And as for Nott, it's time he went and made a fuss about his missing son. While Dumbledore is distracted by dealing with Nott, we can strike at the rest of the Order. I'm thinking the Weasleys will make the perfect targets."

"Definitely," Bellatrix agreed with a wicked grin. "Those redheads do love a good fight. It's always pleasing to take one of them down."

"I intend to take the entire lot down," Voldemort replied.

While Bellatrix basked in the idea of taking out the Weasleys, Voldemort got to work by summoning Snape and Nott. First he sent for Snape to find out what the situation was up at Hogwarts. Of course, it was the middle of the day so they had to wait until the Potions master was free before he arrived in Lucius's office a couple of hours after being summoned.

"How are things up at school, Severus?" Voldemort asked.

"I take it you know about Blaise and Theo's departure," Snape guessed. "I was planning on coming to see you this evening about them. As it is, I've only got a few minutes before my next class starts."

"Well then, you better quickly tell me what you know," Voldemort said.

"That would be nothing," Snape replied with an unimpressed snort. "Dumbledore is saying very little. He gathered the staff after dinner yesterday evening and explained that Hermione Granger and her daughter had left the school and were now safely tucked away somewhere. He also mentioned Blaise and Theo had gone, but he apparently doesn't know where."

"He's saying they ran away?" Voldemort questioned.

"He's saying they just vanished and not one member of staff knows where they've gone," Snape answered.

"And has he contacted their parents?" Voldemort queried.

"I have no idea," Snape replied. "Even as Head of Slytherin, I'm excluded. Dumbledore is adamant he will handle things himself."

"Keep me informed," Voldemort ordered.

"Yes, My Lord," Snape replied, bowing to The Dark Lord before he headed back to school before he was missed.

Once Snape had gone, Voldemort sent for Nott. When the wizard appeared, he was clearly nervous and the first thing he said was that Theo had gone. Apparently, Dumbledore had contacted him earlier that day to say Theo was missing, but that the school were doing everything in their power to find him. Dumbledore had told Nott that it was nothing to worry about, and that he had everything in hand.

"I think not," Voldemort snorted. "Nott, I want you up at that school causing a fuss. Take Lucius as a governor, and I want the pair of you to give him hell. Alert the authorities, the press, whatever. I just want Dumbledore well and truly distracted."

"And what about Theo?" Nott asked cautiously.

"Don't worry about your son," Voldemort said, giving Nott a chilling smile. "I think I know where he is. I promise you that we will find him."

Nott nodded, but it was clear to everyone that he wasn't sure if he wanted Voldemort to find his son. Even without it being said it was very clear that Theo was in big trouble. If Voldemort found him, he wasn't guaranteed to survive, and Nott knew that. He just had to hope that his son wouldn't be caught. Of course that might mean he would face the wrath of The Dark Lord, but in his eyes it was preferable to his son facing it. Nott would rather be killed than have his son stuck serving Voldemort as a prisoner like poor Draco Malfoy.


	29. Chapter 29

When school restarted after the Easter break, Hermione found herself missing Harry. As much as she appreciated the support she'd been receiving from Blaise and Theo, and as close as she'd come to the pair, it had still been nice to have Harry around. The few weeks before the holidays, and the Easter break, had reminded Hermione just how much she loved her best friend. With everything she was going through, it had been great to have Harry at her side.

After Harry went back to Hogwarts, Hermione spent her time with Lyra. Even though people were lining up to help look after her daughter, Hermione monopolised her daughter. She spent hours just playing with Lyra, and talking to her about Draco. She wanted Lyra to know that her father loved her, even if he wasn't around to make sure she knew that at the moment.

Hermione was also focusing on Lyra to take her mind off her worry about Draco. It had been a few weeks since Tipsy had brought a message from Draco. Hermione didn't want to be the first to send a message, in case Tipsy arrived at a bad moment and it led to trouble for Draco. She just had to hope Draco was okay, and was just being cautious in not sending messages via the house elf. After all, there was no point risking their communication method if there wasn't any real need for them to be passing messages.

By the time Harry had been back at school for a week, Hermione had spent almost all of her time with Lyra, so on the Friday evening, Blaise and Theo had intervened and after dinner, they'd insisted Hermione remain downstairs with them. Since the twins, Remus and Sirius also begged Hermione to stay, she settled down in the front room after she'd settled Lyra in her cot for the evening.

After half an hour, Hermione was pleased she'd stayed down to spend some time with her friends. Even though her daughter was obviously her priority, it was still nice to have some adult conversation.

"Hot chocolate, anyone?" Remus asked.

"That would be great," Theo answered as Blaise, Hermione and the twins all accepted Remus's offer.

Remus and Sirius headed off to make the hot chocolate, and they'd only just returned with the drinks when the floo network lit up and Dumbledore emerged into the room. Dumbledore had barely stepped from the flames when the fire lit up again and Harry arrived.

"Harry!" Hermione was on her feet and had her arms wrapped around her best friend as soon as he entered the room.

"Missed me?" Harry laughed as he hugged Hermione back.

"I've hardly noticed you've been gone," Hermione replied with a smile.

"Sure she hasn't," Blaise snorted. "She's been moping around all week."

"I have not being moping," Hermione insisted. "I was just focusing on Lyra."

"Of course you were," Harry said. Wrapping his arm around Hermione, his eyes fell to the coffee table and the cups of steaming hot chocolate. "Ooh, is that hot chocolate?"

"I'll make you one," Sirius offered. "Albus, would you like one?"

"That would be delightful," Dumbledore replied as he sat down on an empty chair, while Harry joined Hermione on the sofa. "I'm need in need of a good cup of hot chocolate after the week I've had."

"Is everything okay?" Hermione asked.

"Nothing I can't deal with," Dumbledore replied with a smile. "Theo's father has just been up at school a lot, causing a fuss about Theo's disappearance."

"Sorry," Theo said with a grimace. "I didn't think he would cause a fuss considering he urged me to get away."

"I very much doubt the fuss he's causing is of his own making," Dumbledore reassured Theo. "Every time he's been up at school, he's being accompanied by his lawyer, and I know for a fact his lawyer supports Voldemort. I suspect he's merely doing what Voldemort had ordered him to do."

"Why would Voldemort want such a fuss?" Blaise asked with a frown. He knew there wasn't any point asking if his mother was also causing a fuss, as he doubted she even cared he was supposedly missing.

"To keep me occupied," Dumbledore suggested. "Maybe he's worried about what I know and what I'm up to with his Horcruxes. Or maybe he just wants me so focused on dealing with Theo's father, that I'm not alert to any other trouble brewing."

"You won't let that happen, will you?" Theo checked.

"Don't worry, I'm on top of everything," Dumbledore replied with a reassuring smile as Sirius returned with two new cups of hot chocolate and handed one to him and one to Harry.

"So Albus, I'm assuming there's an ulterior motive to your visit, and you're not just here to grab some hot chocolate," Remus remarked, expertly switching the subject before Theo got too worried about the trouble his father was being forced to cause.

"You assumed right," Dumbledore said, sipping on his hot chocolate. "Harry, do you want to fill people in on your discoveries."

"Yeah, but they're not just my discoveries, Ginny helped. And don't forget Luna, we wouldn't know any of this without her," Harry said.

"Know what?" Fred asked.

"Don't keep us in suspense, Harry," George added. "Tell us what you've found out."

"Well Ginny and I spoke to Luna, and it turns out she knew about this lost diadem of wisdom," Harry began. "Better yet, she got us a picture of it. Apparently there's a statue in the Ravenclaw common room of Rowena Ravenclaw, and she's wearing the diadem. Luna grabbed us a picture of the statue, but the diadem isn't too clear I'm afraid."

Harry pulled a picture from his pocket, and handed it to Hermione. Hermione scrutinised the picture and let out a disappointed sigh when she realised Harry was right, the picture of the diadem wasn't that clear. Taking one final look, Hermione passed the picture to her right, where Blaise was sitting. In a few minutes the picture had made it's way around everyone.

"I know the picture isn't great, but I do have more information," Harry said as people continued to look at the picture. "Luna also told us that The Grey Lady is the ghost of Rowena's daughter. Maybe we can talk to her and see what she knows about the diadem."

"You want to talk to a ghost?" Blaise questioned in disbelief.

"Ghosts do talk, you know," Harry chuckled. "Nearly Headless Nick never shuts up."

"Can't say I've ever noticed, he doesn't talk to us Slytherins," Blaise replied with a shrug. "And the Bloody Baron doesn't talk, he just randomly yells at people. I wouldn't even think about having a conversation with him."

"Well, Luna seems to think we can talk to The Grey Lady," Harry said. "Providing we can find her, she's pretty elusive apparently."

"Yes, she's always been that way," Dumbledore said. "But I'm sure we can locate her and have a chat with her."

"We don't need to," Theo said quietly.

Hermione turned her attention to Theo, and found the Slytherin had the picture Harry had passed around in his hands. He looked to be scrutinising the picture pretty closely, and Hermione wondered if he'd spotted something no-one else had.

"Come on Theo, don't keep us hanging," Blaise urged his friend. "What do you know?"

"I think I know where the diadem is," Theo answered, looking up and finding everyone watching him.

"Whoa, I wasn't expecting that," George said with a small laugh.

"Nor was I," Harry said. "Are you sure, Theo?"

"As sure as I can be with this picture," Theo replied.

"So where is the diadem?" Hermione asked.

"Hogwarts."

"Hogwarts," Hermione repeated, staring at Theo in shock.

"Yeah, Hogwarts," Theo confirmed with a nod. "Or at least there's a diadem that looks very similar to this hidden in a junk room at school. I saw it last year."

"Is it possible?" Harry asked as he turned to Dumbledore.

"We've already established that Voldemort is hiding these things in places that mean something to him, and there's no denying Hogwarts meant something to him. I think it's very likely that he's hidden something at the castle," Dumbledore replied.

Harry nodded as he turned back to Theo. "Tell us more about this junk room."

"I don't even know which floor it was on," Theo admitted sheepishly. "One night last year I'd been up in the astronomy tower, and realised it was after curfew. When I was heading back down to the dungeons, Mrs Norris suddenly appeared and I needed somewhere to hide. This door just sort of appeared, so I darted inside. The room was full of junk, and I remember seeing the diadem propped on a bust of a former headmaster."

"The door to the room just appeared?" Harry checked as he shared a sly smile with Hermione and the twins.

"Yeah, I would have sworn it wasn't there moments earlier," Theo answered. "It just sprung from nowhere in my hour of need."

"It tends to do that," Hermione said with a chuckle.

"You know what this room is?" Theo asked.

"We do," Harry confirmed. "Theo, you found the room of requirement. Or at least that was what we called it when we were using it in fifth year. It's a room that gives people exactly what they need, and it gave you a place to hide."

"It's obviously been giving people a place to stash stuff as well," Hermione mused.

"So you think this diadem could be in this room?" Blaise checked.

"I think it's a very real possibility," Dumbledore confirmed when all eyes turned to him. "We need to check it out."

"I'm telling you know, the junk room is massive," Theo warned. "I spent ages wandering around looking at stuff. It was nearly the early hours of the morning before I tore myself away, there was just so much to take in."

"Maybe Mr Nott, you and Mr Zabini could come back to school to help Harry search for the diadem," Dumbledore suggested. "We could do it tomorrow evening after curfew. You could floo to my office, and the three of you could go from there. I can try and make sure it's Professors McGonagall and Snape on duty, so they'll know you're around. However, you will have to avoid Mr Filch, and the ghosts."

"We can do that," Blaise said with a grin. He was eager to actually do something to help, and he knew Theo felt the same way.

"Harry, is it okay with you?" Dumbledore asked.

"I'd appreciate the help," Harry replied, smiling at the two Slytherins.

"What about Ron?" Hermione asked. She hadn't seen the redhead since he'd last been at Grimmauld Place ranting about the attack on Hogsmeade, so she wasn't sure what the situation was between her two best friends.

"He's barely speaking to me," Harry admitted with a shrug. "He's just not accepting what's going on at all. Ginny and I didn't include him in our talk with Luna, and I don't want to include him in this. I'd rather wait until he calms down and stops behaving like such a prat."

"Don't hold your breath on speaking to him any time soon then," Fred snorted. "Ron's a stubborn arse, and it's going to take something big to make him accept he's been in the wrong."

"Maybe he'll come round once this is all over and Voldemort is gone," Hermione suggested hopefully.

"Maybe," Harry agreed. "But that won't happen until we can find this diadem. I say we get searching tomorrow evening."

With everyone in agreement, plans were made before Harry and Dumbledore headed back to Hogwarts. When she went to bed that evening, Hermione felt as though things were progressing with Voldemort. If Theo was right and the diadem was at Hogwarts, that meant Harry and Dumbledore were one step closer to defeating the dark wizard that was holding the love of her life a prisoner.

* * *

 **::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::**

* * *

After spending the day anxiously looking forward to doing something productive to help the war effort, Blaise and Theo were raring to go when Sirius activated the floo network and connected it to Hogwarts. Hermione and the twins wished the pair luck, before Sirius accompanied them through the floo to the headmaster's office. When they arrived in Dumbledore's office, they found Harry was already waiting for them.

"I trust you three can manage this task," Dumbledore said to the trio.

"We can do it," Harry reassured the headmaster.

"Just remember, I can't control the ghosts of the school," Dumbledore warned. "If any of them see you, they're likely to call for Mr Filch. Professors Snape and McGonagall are on duty tonight, and they'll both do their best to keep the top floors clear for you. Good luck, and I'll be waiting for your return."

After thanking the headmaster, Harry, Theo and Blaise turned and left the headmaster's office. When they reached the bottom of the stairs, Harry peered out into the corridor to check the coast was clear. Satisfied no-one was around, he bolted into a nearby alcove and dug the marauders map from his pocket.

"What is that thing?" Blaise asked as he and Theo squeezed into the alcove with Harry.

"A magical map," Harry answered as he tapped his wand on the parchment and uttered the phrase that brought the map to life.

"That is so cool," Theo gushed as the map of Hogwarts appeared on the parchment. "Hey look, there we are," he said, pointing to three names on the seventh floor.

"We can use this to make sure no-one is coming," Harry said.

"Where did you get such a thing?" Blaise asked as they checked it was safe before they left the alcove.

"I got it from the twins in my third year," Harry answered.

"I've always said those two were bloody geniuses," Theo said approvingly.

"The twins didn't make the map, they just nicked it from Filch's office," Harry chuckled. "My father made the map, along with Sirius and Remus. And another friend of theirs, who turned out to be a traitor."

"It's so cool you've got something your father invented," Blaise said, deciding to focus on the positive rather than the traitor Harry had mentioned. He knew enough about what had happened to Harry in third year to know the traitor was Peter Pettigrew, and it had been him who'd told Voldemort where to find Harry's parents shortly before their deaths.

"It is," Harry agreed with a smile, grateful the two Slytherins had avoided the topic of Pettigrew.

As they made their way to the room of requirements, they slipped into a comfortable silence. When they reached the place where the door would appear, Theo looked at the wall with a frown.

"What?" Harry asked. "We have to make the door appear by thinking about what we want."

"I know, you explained that," Theo said. "I just didn't think this was the place. I thought I was possibly at the other side of the castle."

"Maybe the room has two doors," Blaise suggested. "Especially if it was as big as what Theo saw."

"It's possible," Harry agreed with a nod. "To be honest we only used this room a couple of times before Umbridge was sacked after she mauled my hand and Dumbledore was reinstated. I'm sure it holds more secrets than what we discovered."

"Let's see what secrets it holds for us tonight," Blaise said.

"Theo, you try and summon the room," Harry ordered as he quickly checked the map to make sure they weren't going to get disturbed. "Just pace in front of the wall, thinking about what you want."

With a confident nod, Theo began to pace the floor in front of the wall. On his third trip walking in front of the wall, it shimmered and a large wooden door appeared as though it had always been there.

"We're in," Harry announced as he pulled open the door.

When the trio entered the room, they found a large, cavernous room, filled to the brim with junk and knick-knacks. Theo confirmed it was the room he'd seen the previous year, and he also confirmed that this was where he'd entered the room. Obviously his sense of direction wasn't as good as he'd thought, since he could have sworn he was over the other side of the castle when he found the room.

"Let's not worry about that now," Blaise said as he gently closed the door behind him, once everyone had lit their wands so they could see in the dim light. "Lead us to this diadem."

"I can't just lead you to it," Theo tutted. "I know it's in here, but I'm not sure where. I was wandering around for quite a bit."

"Why don't we split up?" Harry suggested. "Even in a room this size, we should be able to communicate okay."

"Let's go," Theo said, raising his wand and peering off to his right. "I'll go this way."

While Theo went to the right, Blaise peeled off to the left, and Harry moved straight forward. As they went they chatted back and forth, their voices carrying easily in the quiet room. Harry easily slipped into the light-headed banter the two Slytherins indulged in, and he found himself regretting not getting to know them earlier. It was such a shame he'd ignored Blaise and Theo for the best part of seven years because they were Slytherins. Luckily, they'd gotten to know each other now, and they'd more than proved trustworthy after the way they'd stood by Hermione and Lyra.

An hour into the search, and no diadem had been spotted by anyone. By the second hour, still no diadem had been found so the trio took a small break. After a ten minute rest, they resumed their search. Nearly half an hour later, Theo was wondering if he'd imagined the diadem being in the room when Blaise let out a loud cry.

"I think this is it, boys," he called.

Using Blaise's voice as a beacon, both Theo and Harry made their way to where Blaise was waiting with a bust of an old headmaster. Sitting proudly on the top of the bust was a silver diadem, which looked spookily like the one in the picture. Just to be sure, Harry pulled the picture out of his pocket and compared it to the diadem in front of them.

"Looks like a match to me," He declared as he picked up the diadem.

"But is it a Horcrux?" Blaise asked. In all the excitement, he hadn't forgotten that they didn't even know for sure if the diadem was what they were looking for.

"Is it even the real thing?" Theo questioned. "There are some expert forgers out there who can create perfect replicas of valuable pieces of jewellery, and often people are none the wiser."

"I can't answer either of those questions," Harry admitted. "Theo's right, it could easily be a copy of the diadem. And I have no idea if it's a Horcrux or not. Apart from the diary, which was clearly possessed, I haven't been able to tell if the things we've been finding are Horcruxes or not."

"So how do we know you've destroyed the right things?" Theo asked warily. He'd been under the impression that Harry and Dumbledore were on top of the Horcrux hunt, but now it didn't sound as positive.

"I might not be able to tell, but Dumbledore can run tests," Harry reassured the pair. "All we have to do is get this back to him, and he can find out if it's the real deal."

"And if it is?" Blaise checked.

"We destroy it," Harry answered. "And once we've done that, we're down to one. His snake."

"Getting near his snake won't be easy," Theo muttered. "From what I've heard, it never leaves his side."

"We'll just have to get close to him then," Harry said as he carefully placed the diadem into his pocket. "Besides, once the snake is gone, we need to kill him."

"One thing at a time," Blaise cautioned. "Let's deal with this diadem first. And if it's the real deal, then we can work out or next move."

"You sound like Dumbledore," Harry chuckled as the boys made their way back towards the door of the room. "He's always telling me not to think too far ahead. He would appreciate the way your mind works, Blaise."

"That's me, the sensible one," Blaise replied with a grin.

Sharing an amused laugh, the trio quickly checked Harry's map before they left the room of requirement and headed back to Dumbledore's office. Once there, they left the diadem for the headmaster to run tests on, before saying their goodbyes and going their separate ways. It had been a successful evening, and hopefully one that would give them a boost in the ongoing battle against Voldemort. If they had found a Horcrux, they were almost done destroying them, and then it would be time to face Voldemort and get rid of him once and for all.


	30. Chapter 30

**A/N – Thanks to everyone reading and reviewing this story. Just a word of warning, these next few chapters are going to be a bit rough going. We're heading towards the end of this story, and there's still plenty more to cover. I won't deny that there are dark moments in these next few chapters, but there's also brighter times ahead.**

* * *

The week after Hogwarts reconvened after the Easter break was absolute torture for Draco. Every day he waited anxiously for Voldemort or his father to send for him and inform him of their next dastardly plan. With each day that passed without being summoned, Draco couldn't help but worry just what Voldemort had in store for the Order. Although he still didn't feel safe using Tipsy to try and warn the Order of any possible attack as he remained convinced his father was watching him, or at least had one of his elves watching him. He also waited for any news of Theo and Blaise, but at least when he received no news of them, he was taking it to mean they were still safe and sound and out of the dark's clutches.

Finally, early on Sunday afternoon, Draco was summoned to his father's study. With a sense of dread, Draco headed to Lucius's study, where he found Voldemort, his father and his aunt all waiting for him. All three of them were smirking wickedly, and Draco knew their next evil plan was in the works.

"It's time to get back to work, Draco," Voldemort announced. "It's going to be a busy afternoon. Are you ready?"

Draco didn't reply as he knew Voldemort's question was rhetorical. Besides, everyone in the room knew he would be lying if he said he was ready for action. They all knew he didn't want to be there, and he was only doing as he was told due to the hold Voldemort had over Lyra.

"You're to be dressed in your black robes and be in the front hallway in ten minutes," Voldemort ordered Draco. "As usual, you'll have no mask."

"May I ask where we're going?" Draco questioned, hoping that Voldemort hadn't got a lead on Blaise and Theo and they weren't heading for whatever safe haven his girlfriend and daughter were hiding at.

"No, you may not," Voldemort barked sharply. "You get told what you need to know, and not a thing more. Now go and get changed, Draco, before I lose my temper."

"Yes, My Lord," Draco muttered, turning and hurrying out of the study before The Dark Lord changed his mind and decided to punish him by hurting Lyra.

Draco half expected to find Narcissa in his room when he returned, but there was no sign of his mother as he dressed in dark clothes and pulled on the black Death Eater robes his father had provided him with. Draco remained in his room for as long as possible in case his mother put in an appearance, but eventually he had to return downstairs without seeing his mother and saying goodbye.

"At least you're punctual, Draco," Voldemort remarked when Draco arrived in the front hallway, where Voldemort, Lucius and Bellatrix were all waiting for him. "Lucius will take you where we're going. I want maximum destruction and absolute carnage, is that understood?"

"Yes," Draco replied, knowing that this time Voldemort required an answer.

"There's to be no mercy shown, Draco," Voldemort warned. "Death or serious injury are the only results I want this afternoon. Any mercy from you will be severely punished."

As he spoke, Voldemort pulled Lyra's ribbon from his robes and ran the spotty material through his pale fingers. The implication was clear for Draco to see, and he nodded grimly to let Voldemort know he understood what would happen if he messed up.

"It's show time," Voldemort announced, surprising Draco by pulling a silver mask of his own out of his robes and placing it over his face so that he looked like just another Death Eater. "Let's go."

At Voldemort's order, Lucius roughly grabbed hold of Draco's arm, and the pair vanished from Malfoy Manor with a loud crack. When they landed, Lucius immediately let go of Draco. Draco took a small step away from his father as he took in his surroundings. The foursome had landed on a green hillside, and Draco could see dark figures landing all around them. Looking down the hill, Draco could see a tall, odd shaped building that looked as though it was only standing through magic. Draco was confused as to where they were at first, but an old memory of the summer before third year when the Weasleys had won some money from a competition in the Daily Prophet sprung to his mind, and he could recall one of the pictures that had accompanied the article had been of the Weasleys strangely shaped house, which had been extended over the years using magic.

"The Burrow," Draco whispered to himself, recalling the name of the Weasleys family home.

"Correct Draco," Voldemort chuckled, having heard Draco's quiet exclamation. "Down there is the hovel the Weasleys live in. I'm not sure how many redheads are inside the house, but I've erected wards to prevent apparition in and around the house. I've also had a connection at the Ministry disconnect their floo network. We've got them surrounded, and there's no escape. Even if there's only a couple inside that house, they're ours for the taking. Don't let me down, Draco. You've taken out one Weasley, you can take out a few more."

Draco nodded, all the time scanning the house below him, hoping and praying that none of the family were home. Although Draco knew it was a long shot to hope that not one of the Weasleys would be present at their family home. He knew Ron and Ginny were safe at Hogwarts, and he suspected Fred was with George, wherever his twin was hiding. But that still left Molly, Arthur, and the three eldest Weasley brothers. Any of them could be at home, or if they were really unlucky all five of them could be in the house unaware of the carnage that awaited them.

Before Draco had much chance to dwell on what lay ahead, Voldemort gave the order to charge. In a cloud of frightening noise the Death Eaters began to surround The Burrow. Draco was caught up in the crush, and before he knew it, he was standing in the Weasleys back garden. He could already see movement inside the house, so he knew that the place wasn't empty. Chances were the Weasleys had worked out that they couldn't escape via the normal methods, and they would now be working out how to escape from the deadly ring of Death Eaters they found surrounding their house.

"Get that door down," Voldemort's voice called somewhere from Draco's left hand side. With all the Death Eaters, Draco no longer knew which one was Voldemort, or even which ones were his father and aunt.

Eager to do as Voldemort wanted several Death Eaters raised their wands and aimed spells at the back of the Weasleys house. So many spells had been shot at the house that the door didn't just open, it fell off its hinges. The windows at the back of the house shattered and even some bricks collapsed at the sheer force of the spells hitting the building. With entry into the house available a strong force of Death Eaters surged forward and entered the property.

Draco chose to remain outside, and rather than following the crowds into the house and risk getting crushed, he set off around the perimeter of the house. He could hear the Death Eaters entering the house from both the back and the front, and he felt sorry for those trapped inside. He really wished there was something he could do to help save them, but he knew his hands were tied and he was useless. All he could really do was try and stay out of the action and avoid being put in a position where he had to face a Weasley.

Draco was halfway around the house when he heard a noise above him. Looking up, he saw a window at the very top of the house opening. The next thing he knew two rickety broomsticks stuttered out of the window, with the two eldest Weasleys perched on them. From where Draco was standing the brooms didn't look that safe, or all that fast, but at least it was a way of the Weasleys getting to safety.

Draco was practically standing under the broomsticks as they hovered beside the window for a few minutes. He was too far below to hear whatever was being said, but it was clear that there were more people in the house. Draco suspected the two Weasleys were trying to get more of their family to join them on the broomsticks, but quite rightly no-one was wanting to risk weighing the old brooms down even further. As it was, Draco knew the two boys were going to have to use all their flying skills to be able to fly out of danger on such old brooms. But to add more weight to the brooms would be suicidal.

"Around here!" A voice suddenly called and Draco turned his attention away from the brooms in front of him to find a couple of Death Eater rounding the corner from the front of the house.

Fortunately the Weasleys on brooms heard the shouts and they turned away from the house and flew off into the open. Unsurprisingly the brooms weren't very speedy, and Draco winced as spells the Death Eaters were shooting at them whizzed close by their heads. Hoping the boys got away, Draco tucked himself back into the shadows and jogged back towards the rear of the house before the Death Eaters spotted him and reported him to Voldemort for not attacking the two wizards.

Back at the rear of the house, Draco spotted figures on the hilltops where the Death Eaters had arrived. None of the figures were in black, so Draco was guessing it was the reinforcements of the Order. Hoping that the Order could stop the attack and force the dark to retreat, Draco headed around the other side of the house to avoid any confrontation as it seemed all the commotion was coming from inside the house and over the side where the two eldest Weasleys had escaped.

As he carefully picked his way down the side of the Weasleys house, which was a bit overgrown as though it was a side of the garden they rarely used, Draco spotted another open window. Only this window was on the ground floor, and as he watched the head of Molly Weasley appeared in front of him. Quickly checking no-one was around to see him, Draco rushed forward to help Molly out through the window.

"Thank you," Molly whispered as she squeezed her ample body through the small window. She'd found herself locked in the pantry when the Death Eaters had broken into her house, but she knew her safe haven wouldn't be safe for long, hence why she was trying to escape from a small window. "Do you know if any of my family are alive?"

"I saw the two oldest boys fly off on brooms," Draco replied. "They exited from the other side of the house, right from the top floor."

"I think the boys and Arthur must have ran to the attic," Molly said as Draco helped her to her feet. "I don't suppose you saw Arthur, did you?"

"No, but the brooms wouldn't have held three," Draco answered.

He was just about to tell Molly about the Order coming from the rear of the property, when he spotted a movement in the shadows of some nearby bushes. Pushing Molly behind him, he ordered her to run as he kept an eye on the moving shadows. Draco didn't dare look back to see if Molly was getting away as he kept alert for someone springing from the shadows and surprising him. After almost five minutes, he couldn't hear Molly behind him, nor could he see any movements in the bushes. Striding forward, he poked around in the bushes and found they were empty.

"I'm bloody paranoid," he muttered to himself as he hurried off towards the front of the house thinking that no-one had seen him help Molly escape. However, what he'd missed when he'd searched the bushes was Voldemort's loyal snake, Nagini.

Unaware that Nagini had seen everything, and the connection Voldemort had with his pet snake, Draco joined the forces at the front of the house. That was where he was when Voldemort gave the order to retreat, and out of nowhere his father appeared and apparated home with him. When they landed, Draco didn't even get to find out if there'd been any injuries or deaths at the attack, as Lucius dismissed him and said that Voldemort would send for him when he was ready.

Despite wanting to know how things stood with the Weasleys, Draco obediently returned to his room and changed. There was still no sign of his mother as he headed for a shower, and then settled down to wait for Voldemort to send for him. Draco was hopeful he would get to see his mother soon and confide in her what had happened, but right now, all he could think about were the Weasleys and if any of them had escaped. He certainly hoped they'd escaped, or if they hadn't he hoped that the Order had arrived in enough time to save their lives.

As it turned out, Draco waited for nearly three hours before Voldemort sent for him. One of Lucius's elves came to get him, and instead of taking him to Lucius's study, he took him to the large ballroom that was usually only used on special occasions. Draco entered the room, worried about what was in store for him. He was even more worried when he spotted his mother sitting in a hard backed chair, Lucius standing on one side of her, Bellatrix on the other. Voldemort stood a few feet away from the trio, with Nagini curled around his feet.

"I heard a few interesting tales today, Draco," Voldemort began. "Nagini tells me you let the Weasley woman escape. A couple of my other Death Eaters also say they saw you watching as the two Weasley boys flew away. Are they lying?"

"I don't recall seeing the Weasley woman," Draco lied. He didn't know if he could get away with lying to The Dark Lord, but it was worth a try as he knew admitting the truth would only result in him ending up in trouble. "And as for the boys, by the time I spotted them, several Death Eaters were already dealing with them. I assumed they had control of the situation."

"I'd willingly give you the benefit of the doubt over the boys," Voldemort said, sounding unusually kind. "Especially since my Death Eaters brought them both down. Unfortunately they let them escape again, but they were both hurt in the attack. However, I've seen what Nagini witnessed. You didn't just let the Weasley woman go, you helped her escape. You disobeyed me, Draco."

"Sorry," Draco whispered, wincing slightly at the harsh tone Voldemort's voice had taken as he continued speaking. He no longer sounded kind, he sounded angrier than Draco had ever heard him.

"It's too late for sorry," Voldemort seethed, pulling Lyra's ribbon from his robes and holding it up for Draco to see. "I hope saving the Weasley woman was worth it, because now you're going to lose your daughter."

"No," Draco cried, lurching forward to try and grab the ribbon and being stopped via a stunning spell from his aunt's wand. "Please, I'll do anything," he pleaded.

"I was hoping you would say that," Voldemort replied with a slow smirk. "Bella, let your nephew go."

With a flick of her wand, Bellatrix released the hold she had over Draco. Even though Draco's every instinct was to carry on towards Voldemort and take back his daughter's ribbon, he knew it would do no good, so he halted where he was, waiting to see what Voldemort would have him do.

"I'm not happy Draco," Voldemort said. "I thought you understood our deal. Maybe I overestimated how much you loved your little brat of a daughter. I thought you would do anything to save her life."

"I will," Draco hissed. "Hurt me all you want, just don't hurt my daughter. I can behave, and I promise to never disobey you again."

"Before I believe anything you say, you have to prove yourself to me again," Voldemort said. "If you don't want me to snap the lovely little ribbon, you're going to do exactly as I say. Lucius, bring your wife forward."

Draco watched with wide eyes as Lucius roughly grabbed hold of Narcissa's arm and all but hurled her to the floor in front of Voldemort. Over the last few months, Draco had lost all respect for his father, and in fact he hated him for his role in Voldemort's plan, but he'd never thought he would see the day when he would be so rough with Narcissa. Despite Lucius's faults, Draco had always thought that his father loved his mother. Clearly the love Lucius felt for his wife had vanished, possibly around the time he'd abandoned his love for Draco and callously used his own granddaughter in such a despicable way.

"I didn't want to have to do this, Draco," Voldemort said softly. "But you've left me no choice. To save your daughter, you must sacrifice your mother. I think a blast of the Cruciatius Curse will do for starters."

"No," Draco gasped, gazing down at Narcissa, who looked as horrified as he felt.

"Yes," Voldemort replied, waving Lyra's ribbon in front of Draco. "Do it or your daughter's short life comes to an end."

"Please Draco," Narcissa begged, tears pooling in her light blue eyes. "I can cope. Do this for Lyra."

"I can't," Draco whispered brokenly, tears springing to his own eyes.

"I'm losing patience," Voldemort snapped, draping Lyra's ribbon over his wand.

Draco knew that the right spell would slice the ribbon in two before he could even blink, but still he hesitated. When Narcissa begged him to just do it again, he slowly pulled his wand from his pocket. With shaking hands, he raised his wand and pointed it at his now sobbing mother.

"Do it," Voldemort ordered with glee.

"Draco, now," Narcissa pleaded.

"Cru…Cru…Crucio," Draco stammered, finally spitting out the awful curse, as he succumbed to tears and began to cry as he cursed the witch who had been there for him his entire life.

Due to Draco's tears and his lack of will the curse wasn't at all powerful, and when it hit Narcissa it was more like a dull pain than the searing pain normally associated with the curse. However, despite her tears, Narcissa was alert and she cried out as though she was in terrible agony. Although to be honest she really was in agony as she watched her son suffer, it was just more mental than physical.

"Not good enough," Voldemort called. He had enough experience with dark curses to know that the spell Draco had cast wasn't causing that much damage.

"It's the best I can do," Draco sobbed, dropping his hand.

"Try again," Voldemort ordered, jabbing his wand with Lyra's ribbon draped over it towards Draco.

With shaking hands and tears obscuring his sight, Draco tried yet again to curse his mother. However, even the danger to his precious daughter couldn't produce a strong enough spell to satisfy Voldemort.

"I've had enough. It's time to end this," Voldemort snarled. With a flick of his wand, the ribbon draped over it snapped in two and fluttered down to the floor.

"No!" Draco howled, lunging at Voldemort yet again as he watched the two pieces of his daughter's ribbon break in two. Somewhere to the side of him, he heard his mother's anguished cry as she also witnessed the destruction of Lyra's ribbon.

Voldemort was ready for Draco's attack and he swiftly elbowed the younger wizard in the ribs, causing him to fall to the ground. Draco fell just beside Lyra's ribbon, and taking the two parts into his hands, he clutched them to his chest as he sobbed for his daughter. He felt as though he'd failed Lyra, and all he could do now was hope and pray that Dumbledore's spell had been successful and instead of being dead, Lyra was merely in a coma, which she could one day be woken from. Not that Draco was sure he would ever find out either way, as he strongly suspected that his end was fast approaching.


	31. Chapter 31

The residents of Grimmauld Place were having a quiet, lazy Sunday, but there was a sense of optimism in the air. Following Blaise and Theo's trip to Hogwarts to help Harry locate what they thought was a Horcrux, everyone hoped that the end of the war was in sight. If the Horcrux was genuine, and Dumbledore destroyed it, that left Nagini as Voldemort's final Horcrux. They all knew once Nagini was the only Horcrux left, a final battle could be initiated and hopefully they could end Voldemort's reign of terror for good this time.

After a lunch whipped up by Sirius and Remus, everyone was relaxing in the front room. Remus and Theo were both reading, while Sirius, Blaise, Fred and George were playing an old board game Sirius had found in one of the bedrooms. As for Hermione, she was napping on the sofa with Lyra snuggled safely in her arms.

Hermione was only sleeping lightly, and she was woken properly by a bit of a commotion. As she opened her eyes she spotted a flash of silver disappearing. She wasn't sure, but she thought the silver was a patronus, and as she sat up she noted the horror etched on everyone's faces.

"What's going on?" she asked, gently settling a still snoozing Lyra on the sofa as she got up. "What have I missed?"

"That was Molly's patronus," Sirius answered. "The Burrow is under attack. Molly, Arthur, Bill and Charlie are all trapped inside the house."

"We need to go," Fred declared.

"Now," George added.

"Not you George," Remus said gently. "I know this is hard, but you need to stay here. You are supposed to be dead."

"Fine, I'll stay, but you lot need to go," George said urgently.

"We'll be back as soon as we can," Sirius said as he, Remus and Fred prepared to head to The Burrow.

"It'll be alright, George," Hermione said, giving George a comforting hug as his twin headed off with Remus and Sirius to try and save the rest of his family.

"Do we just wait?" Theo asked.

"I don't think there's anything else we can do," Hermione said with a regretful sigh. She wished she could do more, but there was no question of her leaving Lyra.

"Should we contact Hogwarts?" Blaise asked. "We need to send as much help to the Weasleys as we can."

"Mum's patronus will likely have gone there as well, but there's no harm in trying to get in touch," George said. "Hermione, do you know if the floo is already connected to Hogwarts?"

Hermione didn't know, but before she got a chance to try it, the fire lit up and Ginny stumbled out of the emerald green flames. She immediately threw herself into George's arms and explained that Harry and Ron had insisted on going to The Burrow when they'd heard the news. Ginny had also wanted to go, but Dumbledore had refused and instead had packed her off to Grimmauld Place to await news of her family.

"Why have they suddenly decided to attack The Burrow?" Ginny asked as she slumped down on the sofa next to George, the two siblings holding each other's hands as they waited for news on their family.

"Why do they do anything? To try and scare us," George replied. "I doubt there's any logic in why they've chosen to attack out home. Let's just pray everyone gets out and the rest of the Order arrive in time to save our family."

With nothing else to say, the group settled down to wait for news from The Burrow. Hermione moved Lyra so she was sitting on her lap, and she kept a close eye on her daughter for any signs that Voldemort was using her to manipulate Draco. However, for the time being Lyra seemed content to sleep and she didn't seem to be in any pain.

After what seemed like an eternity, but in reality wasn't even half an hour, sounds of apparition floated from the hallway. George and Ginny were the first to their feet and they rushed out into the hallway to see who had returned. When they came back into the front room they were accompanied by Remus, Harry and McGonagall, who were supporting Bill and Charlie between them. Both Bill and Charlie were battered and bruised, but they didn't look to be in serious pain.

"What happened?" George demanded as Bill and Charlie were settled on two of the sofas.

"We were just finishing lunch when the alerts around The Burrow sounded," Bill explained. "We tried to apparate, but we were blocked from leaving. The floo also wasn't working. We were trapped."

"What did you do?" Ginny asked as Hermione passed Lyra over to Blaise and started to help McGonagall check the two eldest Weasleys over for serious injuries.

"We ran," Charlie answered. "We ran up to the attic, but it wasn't until we got there that we realised Mum wasn't with us. By then, it wasn't safe to go and look for her. Dad locked the door and found two old brooms. He then made Bill and I leave on the brooms."

"The brooms were so old they weren't very good, but we got away from the house," Bill continued as Charlie paused to let Hermione remove his shirt. "However, we were spotted and we were brought down by a group of Death Eaters."

"Rescue arrived just in time," Charlie said.

"What about Mum and Dad?" Ginny demanded. "What happened to them?"

"Dad was in the attic with us, but he couldn't leave with us," Bill replied. "As for Mum, we're not sure where she was."

"Don't worry, the others won't leave without them," Remus said reassuringly. "When we left the Death Eaters were starting to run."

"I'm sure Molly and Arthur will both be okay," Harry said as he pulled Ginny into a hug.

Everyone hoped Harry was right, but yet again all they could do was wait. Fortunately they didn't have to wait long before there was another burst of apparition and this time Molly was brought into the room, being supported by Ron and Fred. Sirius was with them, and even though Molly looked to be uninjured she was pale and shaking.

"Mum," Ginny cried, rushing over to Molly and embracing her. "Where's Dad?"

"Let her sit down," Sirius said gently as Fred and Ron eased their mother into a spare seat.

"What's happened?" George asked. "Where's Dad?"

"Dumbledore and Snape are bringing him," Fred answered in a hollow voice.

"Is he okay?" Ginny asked in a shaking voice.

"No," Ron whispered brokenly. "He's dead."

Hermione gasped as the Weasleys came to term with the news that Arthur hadn't made it. Feeling the need to be close to her daughter, Hermione plucked Lyra from Blaise's arms just as she started to wake up. When Lyra whimpered slightly, Molly looked up and smiled sadly at the little girl.

"There's something you need to know Hermione," Molly said. "I'm only here because of Draco. I was stuck in the pantry, and I could hear Death Eaters trying to get in. I was struggling out of the window when Draco found me. He pulled me out and sent me to safety. If it wasn't for Draco, I would be dead."

Hermione wasn't really sure how to respond, and she felt guilty for the overwhelming surge of delight she felt at the news that Draco was seemingly doing okay, when the Weasleys had just lost Arthur. Making her way over to Molly, she leaned down and gave her a hug and told her how sorry she was about Arthur. As they were hugging, she heard sounds in the hallway and everyone tensed as they knew Dumbledore and Snape had arrived with Arthur's body.

Not wanting Lyra to be around a dead body, Hermione offered to go and make some tea and slipped off into the kitchen. Making tea while carrying a baby was no easy matter, but Hermione managed to fill the kettle and find enough cups for everyone. She was then just waiting for the kettle to boil for the first round of teas when she heard someone entering the kitchen. Turning around she found a devastated looking Ron entering the room. Despite the fact that Ron hadn't exactly been supportive of her situation, Hermione's heart went out to her best friend and without thinking she crossed over to him and gave him a hug, albeit an awkward one with a wriggling Lyra in her arms.

"I'm so sorry, Ron," Hermione offered, knowing that nothing she could say would make his pain go away. She was still learning to cope with her parents' deaths, and it was only the concern about Draco and Lyra that was keeping her from dwelling on the fact she no longer had her parents.

"So am I," Ron returned. "I'm sorry for not being there for you when you needed me. I've been a terrible friend these last few months. You've been going through hell and I wasn't there to support you. I'm also sorry about everything I said about Malfoy. If it wasn't for him, I would have lost both parents today. I will forever be grateful that he saved my Mum."

"I think we can just forget about the past and start fresh," Hermione offered. Life was too short to hold grudges, and she wanted nothing more than to have Ron back in her life.

"I'd like that," Ron said with a smile as he gave Hermione another hug. "Should I hold Lyra while you finish the tea?"

"Are you sure?" Hermione asked.

"I'm sure," Ron confirmed, holding his hands out for the young girl. "It's about time I got to know this little lady."

Hermione handed Lyra over to Ron, nervous about how they would both react. Fortunately, Lyra didn't cause a fuss and Ron seemed content to hold her little girl in his arms. With Lyra safely in Ron's arms, Hermione made the tea and headed into the front room to hand it out. When she returned to the kitchen, Ron had settled down with Lyra on his knee and he was making funny faces at her.

"She likes you," Hermione remarked as her daughter giggled happily.

"I just wish I'd given you and her a chance earlier," Ron said sadly. "I've had to lose my Dad to see what a prick I was being. I shouldn't have needed such a drastic wake-up call."

"Let's not dwell on the past," Hermione said as she sat down next to Ron. "You're here for us now, and that's all that matters. And just for the record, we're here for you too. If ever you want to talk about Arthur, I'm here. I know what it's like to lose a father."

"You've lost a lot more than me though," Ron said, putting his arm around Hermione's shoulder and pulling her closer to him. "I guess we can get through this together."

"I'd like that," Hermione replied, resting her head on Ron's shoulder as she reached out and stroked Lyra's hair.

Hermione and Ron sat talking for another few minutes before they went back into the front room. While Ron settled down with his family to discuss what would happen next, Hermione decided to settle Lyra upstairs for a while. Blaise and Theo joined her in taking Lyra up to bed, and while the two Slytherins took it in turns to tell Lyra stories about Draco, Hermione made up some spare rooms. The Weasleys couldn't go back to The Burrow, so it only made sense that they would stay at Order headquarters where they were safe.

With the beds made up, Hermione looked in on her daughter, to find Blaise and Theo were just keeping her entertained rather than sending her off to sleep. Hermione tried to scold her two friends, but she couldn't be mad at them as Lyra giggled happily and grinned at the boys as they told her stories of her father. Instead, Hermione chose to settle down in the rocking chair in the corner of the room and she listened as Blaise and Theo talked about Draco.

Hermione felt a sense of peace creep over her as she listened to Draco's best friends talking about him, and when she shut her eyes, she could picture him so clearly. But suddenly the peace was shattered when Lyra began to cry. Jumping to her feet, Hermione was over at her daughter's bedside in an instant. Hermione picked Lyra up to sooth her, but no sooner had she gathered her precious daughter in her arms then she stopped crying and froze in her arms.

"Lyra!" Hermione cried, staring down at her daughter in horror. In an instant Lyra had gone from being grizzly to lying as though she was sleeping peacefully. "Lyra!"

Hermione felt her hands began to shake as she checked her daughter's pulse. She found a pulse but there were no other signs of life. Her daughter was lying motionless in her arms, and nothing Hermione could do was waking her up. Slowly tears began to fall from her eyes, while terror filled her heart as she stared down at her daughter.

"Theo call for help," Blaise ordered as he took hold of a shaking Hermione and led her over to the bed.

Theo's loud cries quickly got a response, but Hermione was barely aware of people rushing into the room as she cradled Lyra in her arms. When Dumbledore knelt down in front of her, she clung to her daughter even tighter as he tried to take hold of her. In the end, Blaise had to hold onto a sobbing Hermione as Dumbledore gently lifted Lyra from her mother's arms. The second Lyra was out of her arms, Hermione let out an anguished wail and clung to Blaise. Theo, Ron and Harry all rushed to Hermione's side and along with Blaise, the four wizards gathered around Hermione and tried their best to comfort her as Dumbledore examined Lyra.

"Hermione," Dumbledore said quietly, turning to look at the devastated young witch.

"Is she… is she…?" Hermione faltered, not able to say the words.

"In a magical coma," Dumbledore confirmed gently. "It appears her ribbon has been cut."

"Oh, this is my fault," Molly gasped from the doorway, holding her hand over her mouth. "Someone must have seen Draco save me. I'm sorry Hermione, I never meant for this to happen."

"It's not your fault, Molly," Hermione said through her tears. It would be easy to lash out at Molly and blame her for being saved by Draco, but she couldn't bring herself to do it. All that mattered was Lyra, and lashing out at innocent people wasn't going to help her daughter.

"What happens now?" Blaise asked.

"As far as Voldemort is concerned, Lyra is dead, so I have no idea what the situation is with Draco," Dumbledore said. "Hopefully Severus can help us with some information on that score."

"I'll do my best," Snape vowed with a nod of his head. The entire house was gathered in and around Hermione's room, each of them waiting to see what was going to happen to the lovely little girl they'd all fallen in love with.

"And Lyra?" Harry questioned. "What happens to her?"

"Lyra is in a magical coma and she won't wake until Voldemort is dead," Dumbledore said. "However, it's my magic keeping her alive, and if anything should happen to me, my spells on her will break and Voldemort's original spell will resume."

"Meaning she'll die," Hermione choked out, feeling her heart clench at the thought of losing her daughter for good.

"I won't let that happen, Hermione," Dumbledore promised. "I suggest we give Lyra extra protection. I can bind the magic I used to protect Lyra with several other people, and that means they're all protecting her. For Voldemort's original spell to work, everyone single person protecting Lyra has to die."

"I want to do it," Harry volunteered.

"It won't work," Dumbledore said, stopping Theo, Blaise and Ron as they all opened their mouths to volunteer. "Binding magic is tricky, and it's easier to work with people who have a better control of their magic. I think we can get some adults to help."

"You've got seven of them right here," McGonagall said, indicting herself, Snape, Molly, Bill, Charlie, Remus and Sirius.

"Make that nine," Fred said as he and George waved their hands in the air.

"And I know Poppy will want to help," McGonagall said.

"Minerva, go back to Hogwarts and round up some more staff," Dumbledore ordered. "We'll get going here. And you don't have to worry Hermione, by the time we're finished, Lyra will have all the protection she could ever need."

Hermione nodded blankly as she focused her gaze on her daughter. Dumbledore had settled Lyra back in her crib and as he prepared to bind more people's magic into the spells protecting her, he explained that it would be best for her if they tried to leave here where she was. He recommended using magic to bathe and change her, and he assured her that the spells would take care of her nutritional needs and she wouldn't starve or go thirsty.

For the next hour, Hermione remained motionless on the bed as Dumbledore bound the protection spells with other people's magic. Remus and Sirius were the first to add their protection, followed by the Weasley twins, Bill and Charlie and then Molly and Snape. When McGonagall returned from Hogwarts she had Madam Pomfrey with her, along with Professors Sprout and Flitwick. Even Madam Pince had turned up to offer her help. By the time Dumbledore was finished, Lyra had the protection of fourteen witches and wizards. Now unless all fourteen died before they could defeat Voldemort, Lyra would be safe in her coma and one day they would be able to wake her.

With Lyra as protected as she was ever going to get, everyone slowly left the room. Finally, it was just Hermione, Harry, Ron, Blaise and Theo left alone with Lyra. With the two Slytherins at her right side, and her two best friends on her left, Hermione rose to stand by her daughter's bedside. She knew Lyra was still alive and was safe from harm, but she felt a gaping hole in her heart as she gazed down at her silent daughter. She didn't know when she would next look into Lyra's bright eyes, she didn't know when she would next hear her laugh, and she didn't know when she would next hold her and feel her daughter wriggling happily in her embrace.

"I love you sweetheart," Hermione whispered, leaning over and pressing a kiss to Lyra's forehead.

"We all do," Blaise said, reaching down and gently taking hold of Lyra's little hand. "And when it's safe, we'll wake you."

"And we'll have your Daddy with us," Theo promised.

"What do you think is happening to Draco?" Hermione asked. It was hard to think of anything other than her daughter, but she knew something terrible mist have happened to Draco for Voldemort to have snapped Lyra's ribbon and thrown away his hold over Draco.

"Try not to think about it," Harry said. "Malfoy's strong, he'll survive this."

"We all will," Ron whispered, reaching around Harry to take hold of Hermione's hand. "Together we can survive anything."

Hermione smiled sadly as she looked back down at her daughter. She really did hope Ron was right and they did survive, but she already knew they wouldn't emerge from the war unscathed. Some scars would be with them forever, and Hermione knew watching her daughter lying in a magical coma before she'd even reached her first birthday would be one of those scars. Seeing Lyra so helpless was a sight she would never forget, and a one that would haunt her until her dying day.


	32. Chapter 32

Alone in his office, Dumbledore pulled out the box that contained the diadem of Rowena Ravenclaw and set it down on his desk to study it. He felt bad that he'd had the diadem in his possession for well over a week and still hadn't determined if it was a Horcrux or not, but other matters had taken precedence. He hadn't even had the diadem in his possession for a day when The Burrow had been attacked and that emergency had taken priority. Then of course on the same day little Lyra had fallen into her magical coma.

Between what was happening with Lyra and Arthur's death, it had been understandable that Dumbledore hadn't focused on the potential Horcrux in his possession. The diadem had been forgotten in the midst of the grief of losing Arthur and the situation with Lyra, but now Dumbledore was trying to focus on determining if the diadem was a Horcrux. If it was they needed to destroy it, so they could then focus on finding a way to lure Voldemort into battle with his snake. Then they could hopefully destroy both Nagini and Voldemort and save the wizarding world.

Although what Dumbledore hadn't told anyone was that he had an ulterior motive in trying to hurry things along with Voldemort. He'd been praying that the worst wouldn't happen and Lyra wouldn't end up in a coma, but now she had, he was worried about the effects it would have on her if it ended up being a long term thing. He was confident that as long as she was only in the coma for a few months, she would be perfectly fine, but he was worried that if time stretched on she would end up suffering when she woke. In the coma Lyra would age at approximately half the speed than if she'd been awake, while obviously her development would be compromised. For a few months, Dumbledore was confident that it wouldn't make much difference to the young girl, but if she was in the coma for years, she could seriously lag behind other children her age. Then there was her magic to consider as Dumbledore had no idea what being in a prolonged coma would do for her magic which hadn't yet fully developed. For all he knew, Lyra could wake up as a squib.

Dumbledore felt guilty for not discussing any of the potential side effects with Hermione, and he made a mental note to try and do so. However, he would make sure to stress that his solution had been the only one they had. If he hadn't altered the spells Voldemort had placed on Lyra and put her into a coma, she would be dead right now. They would all just have to hope that they could get rid of Voldemort soon and that Lyra's coma was going to be over shortly.

Hoping for the best, Dumbledore turned his attention to the diadem on his desk. Determining if the diadem was actually a Horcrux wasn't easy, and although Dumbledore thought he could sense darkness emanating from the piece of jewellery, he wasn't sure if it was just wishful thinking on his part. Fortunately he had potions and spells to check for the presence of dark magic on the diadem, and he spent the next hour doing all he could to determine if the diadem had been exposed to the darkness.

By the time he'd exhausted all the tests, Dumbledore was confident he was holding another of Voldemort's Horcruxes in his possession. And once he'd destroyed it, they would be down to Nagini as Voldemort's last line of defence. Fortunately, the diadem wasn't the first Horcrux Dumbledore had to destroy, and he had a basilisk fang locked away in his safe to do the task from him. It hadn't been easy, but he'd retrieved the fang from the Chamber of Secrets after Harry had destroyed the diary in his second year and Dumbledore had worked out how Voldemort was still alive. He'd since used the fang to destroy other Horcruxes, and now it was time to destroy the diadem.

Clearing his desk, Dumbledore placed the diadem in the centre and retrieved the basilisk fang. Taking a deep breath, Dumbledore raised the fang in his hands and with all his strength he plunged it into the diadem. The second the fang hit the diadem a loud wail emanated from the Horcrux and a puff of green smoke filled the room. Voldemort's mocking voice began to torment Dumbledore, telling him he would never be strong enough to defeat him, but Dumbledore was prepared for such an event and he studiously ignored his former pupil as he drove the fang deeper into the diadem. With a loud crack, the diadem suddenly broke in two and the smoke and Voldemort's voice evaporated. With a sigh of relief, Dumbledore slumped back into his seat, exhausted by the effort of destroying the Horcrux.

"One more down," he whispered to himself. "Just one to go, and then the main event."

Once he was recovered, Dumbledore tidied up the office and secured the broken pieces of the Horcrux where no-one could reach them. He then headed off to find Harry to inform him that another Horcrux had been destroyed and they were one step closer to defeating Voldemort.

* * *

 **::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::**

* * *

While Dumbledore was examining the diadem to determine whether or not it was a Horcrux, Voldemort was settled in Lucius's study, having a conversation with the blond wizard. The topic of their conversation was Draco, and how much use they thought he could still be. In the last week they'd kept up the pressure on him by torturing Narcissa and making sure he knew that if he put so much as a toe out of line again, they would kill her. Voldemort even followed up the threat with a promise to hunt Hermione down and kill her in front of Draco if he disappointed him again.

However, as defeated and broken as Draco currently was, Voldemort wasn't sure how much more use he had for Lucius's son. Of course he would keep him around until after Draco had witnessed Hermione, his friends, and everyone they'd joined forces with destroyed, but after that, Voldemort just couldn't see him fitting into his future plans. However, he was Lucius's son and heir, and since Lucius had been nothing but loyal to him, Voldemort didn't want to destroy his son and the only means of carrying on the family name.

"Of course you could always remarry and have another son," Voldemort suggested. Of course at the moment Narcissa was still alive, but like Draco, Voldemort didn't see her featuring in his future plans.

"I could, but it's a risk," Lucius replied. "The safest way to secure the family line is to get Draco to have another child. This time a legitimate boy with the right blood."

"Do you think he could be persuaded?" Voldemort asked. "Thankfully not all his friends are traitors like Nott and Zabini. The Parkinson girl and the Greengrass girl have both proved loyal, one of them could be perfect to give Draco the child your family needs."

"Persuasion isn't an option, he'll do as we tell him," Lucius said firmly.

"In that case, I suggest we get onto securing your family line, Lucius," Voldemort said. "After all, once Draco has delivered a son and heir, he's no more use to us."

"Sadly, he's not," Lucius replied with a sigh. It was hard for him to admit, but he was finally ready to give in and confess that Draco wasn't the son he'd always hoped him to be. He was a complete disappointment, and to be honest the only thing left for him to do was produce a pureblood heir to carry on the family name.

"Which do you prefer, Parkinson or Greengrass?" Voldemort questioned. "Both will be leaving school soon, and I'm sure they'll both be willing to help us out."

"We could even use them both and see who falls pregnant first," Lucius replied. "Don't forget the child has to be a boy to carry on the family name. A girl is no good to us. Whichever produces the heir, gets to marry Draco and receive the honour of becoming a Malfoy. Then we can decide how best to deal with my son."

"Will we be able to get Draco to be intimate with the girls?" Voldemort questioned. "There's no denying his heart still lies with the mudblood."

"I'll stand over them and force Draco to do the deed if I have to," Lucius vowed. "One way or another, my son will give me the heir I desire."

Voldemort smirked evilly at Lucius's declaration, but in an instant his smirk vanished and was replaced with a grimace as pain ricocheted through his body. Clutching at his heart, Voldemort let out a cry of pain as he slumped back in his chair. Jumping to his feet, Lucius was around the desk in an instant as he checked The Dark Lord was okay.

"What was that?" Lucius asked as the pain drained from Voldemort's face and he shakily sat up.

"Something I never thought would happen," Voldemort replied shakily, hardly able to believe what he'd just felt. "Send for Bellatrix and Severus, I have an important task for the three of you."

Lucius scurried from the room and he was back in under five minutes with a worried Bellatrix in tow. While they waited for Severus to arrive, which would take longer as he had to get away from Hogwarts, Bellatrix fussed over Voldemort and checked he was really alright. Both she and Lucius were shaken by what had happened as since his return they'd viewed Voldemort as invincible and impervious to any real harm. Thankfully, Voldemort reassured the pair that he was just fine, although they could both see that something was troubling him greatly. When Severus finally arrived ten minutes later, Voldemort still didn't tell the trio what had happened or what had scared him so badly.

"Bellatrix, years ago I gave you a cup to keep secure, where is it?" Voldemort asked.

"It's in our vault at Gringotts," Bellatrix answered.

"Retrieve it for me," Voldemort ordered. "Lucius, I want you to go to a place called Little Hangleton. There's an old deserted cottage located down the lane to the large manor house. In that cottage should be a hidden ring. Find it and bring it to me."

"Yes, My Lord," Lucius and Bellatrix chorused together.

"As for you Severus, what I want from you is at Hogwarts," Voldemort said, turning to his spy. "There's a room on one of the upper floors of the castle which transforms in whatever the user requires. One of its uses is a junk room. In that room you will find a diadem that once belonged to Rowena Ravenclaw. I want that diadem."

"Yes, My Lord," Severus replied.

"And don't let Dumbledore or anyone catch you prying," Voldemort warned. "Now go and get back here as soon as you can."

Voldemort waited until the trio had departed before pulling his own cloak on and leaving the manor. His destination was a seaside resort he'd visited as a child. However, he ignored the beach and the tourist spots and arrived outside of a cave that was virtually impossible to reach without magic. It had been hard enough to reach in his youth, but time had eroded the cliff face and unless you knew what you were looking for the cave was incredibly hard to find. The question was, had Dumbledore found the cave somehow and taken what was hidden inside?

Delving into the darkness, Voldemort made the journey right to the heart of the cave. To anyone else the journey would have been perilous and fraught with danger, but to Voldemort it was simple to reach the lake in the heart of the cave. He then easily made his way over to the island and peered into the basin that stood in the centre of the island. Even though he expected to see nothing, he still let out a scream of annoyance when he found the golden necklace he'd hidden away was missing.

One of his precious Horcruxes had gone, and if the pain he'd felt earlier was any indication it had been destroyed. The question was, how many more had the Order found and destroyed? Were they just destroying their first, or was one of many they'd destroyed and he was only now feeling the pain as the pieces of his soul became fewer? Although even if they'd destroyed all of his four hidden Horcruxes, he knew his final one was safe. Nagini was nestled back at Malfoy Manor and there was no way Voldemort was going to risk letting the Order get their hands on her. He may have used her in the past, but from now one she wasn't leaving the safety of home.

Storming out of the cave, Voldemort returned to Malfoy Manor to wait for his three Death Eaters to return. Of all of them he expected Bellatrix to return first, and to be honest he fully expected her to bring him back the silver cup which had once belonged to Helga Hufflepuff. Even though the Order had somehow tracked down Slytherin's locket, and he could concede they might have found the ring and the diadem, he couldn't possibly see how they'd gotten their hands on the cup if it had been safely nestled in the Lestranges vault at Gringotts.

However, Bellatrix was gone longer than Voldemort had anticipated and when she did turn up she wasn't carrying anything. Her face was set in an angry frown, but Voldemort could also see the worry in her dark eyes. Even before she spoke, Voldemort knew she was bringing him bad news.

"It's not good My Lord," Bellatrix said quietly. "I went for the cup, but it's not there."

"And how is that possible?" Voldemort questioned, biting down his temper. "A break-in perhaps?"

"I did wonder that, but the goblins showed me the records. Last year Rodolphus accessed the vault and removed several boxes. I've taken the liberty of speaking to Rodolphus, and although he claims not to remember any silver cup, he admits it's possible it was in one of the boxes."

"And what did he do with the boxes?" Voldemort asked.

"He sold the contents to Borgin and Burkes to pay off a gambling debt he had acquired," Bellatrix replied. "It would seem there's an undercurrent of gambling among the Death Eaters, and Rodolphus was foolish enough to bet more than he could afford without selling off some family heirlooms. It appears the cup was among the things he sold, not realising its value. I'm sorry My Lord, I had no idea it wouldn't be safe at Gringotts."

"You weren't to know Bella," Voldemort admitted with a sigh. "Although, I have to tell you, I think you will be a widow very soon."

"What a nice treat, My Lord," Bellatrix said with a smirk.

Despite the seriousness of the situation, Voldemort couldn't help but chuckle at Bellatrix's reaction. However, the humour was short lived as Lucius soon returned with the news that he'd turned the cottage upside down and found no sign of the ring. Things then got even worse when Severus turned up without the diadem. Like Lucius he'd searched thoroughly, but found no sign of the diadem.

"What does all this mean?" Lucius asked a seething Voldemort.

"It means it's time to act," Voldemort snarled. "Prepare yourselves for war. This is going to end, and it's going to end soon."


	33. Chapter 33

Up in Gryffindor Tower, Harry was having a restless night's sleep. He was tossing and turning, the covers almost falling off the bed with the constant movement. Inside his head, Harry was experiencing one of his connections with Voldemort, and he'd found himself in a shady room. Shadows fell at odd angles, but a couple of figures began to take shape around him. There was the sneering face of Lucius Malfoy and the cackling madness of Bellatrix Lestrange.

Harry's connection to Voldemort's mind was a result of the attack when he was just a baby, or at least that was what Dumbledore thought. Dumbledore was also pretty sure that Voldemort himself wasn't aware of the connection, so he'd advised Harry that when he experienced such flashes, he was to let things play out before reacting. Dumbledore was convinced that if Voldemort knew about the connection he would try to use it to his own advantage and Harry might end up being an unwitting pawn for The Dark Lord.

Harry had never been able to control the connection, but for weeks now he'd been hoping to have a glimpse into Voldemort's mind in case it provided any insight on Draco and how Hermione's boyfriend was faring. However, nothing had happened, and now Harry was sharing Voldemort's mind he was asleep and the scene was playing out in his head like a nightmare.

Inside Harry's head the shadowy figures of Lucius and Bellatrix were gathering for a meeting of some sort with Voldemort himself. For a while the conversation was just a low hiss in Harry's mind, but suddenly Voldemort's voice rang out with clarity.

"I've made a decision," Voldemort announced. "It's time we took the fight to the Order. Gather everyone, we're going up to Hogwarts."

The word Hogwarts echoed in Harry's head as the scene began to fade, and when there was nothing but darkness left, Harry jolted up in bed, gasping for breath. Initially sleep clung to Harry's mind, but as it cleared, the remnants of the dream returned.

"No," Harry gasped, shoving aside the hangings on his bed and fumbling on the bedside table for his glasses.

In his panic, and in the dark, Harry knocked several things off his bedside table and they went clattering to the floor. The noise was enough to wake the other occupants of the room, but Harry didn't care as he finally found his glasses, grabbed his wand and leapt from the bed.

"What's going on?" Ron muttered sleepily as the other three boys in the room sat up to see what all the commotion was about.

"I have to go and see Dumbledore," Harry said as he shoved his bare feet into his shoes and took off towards the stairs that led down to the common room.

"Harry. Wait up," Ron called as he jumped out of bed and shoving his own shoes on, he took off after his best friend.

Ron reached Harry just a she was yanking open the portrait and exiting Gryffindor Tower. As they stepped out into the landing, they were greeted by shouts from The Fat Lady, but they both ignored her as Harry led the way towards Dumbledore's office.

"What's going on?" Ron asked breathlessly as they travelled down the deserted corridor at top speed.

"Voldemort," Harry gasped. "He's coming here."

"Here," Ron repeated with a frown. "You mean Hogwarts?" he asked, pulling Harry to a standstill in the middle of the corridor.

"Yes, he's coming to Hogwarts," Harry said with a nod. "And I don't know when. We have to warn Dumbledore and evacuate the school."

"Bloody hell," Ron muttered as the pair continued on their way.

When they reached the gargoyle that guarded Dumbledore's office, Harry luckily knew the password and they raced up the spiral staircase. Reaching Dumbledore's office, the two boys pounded on the door until they could hear movement inside the room. When a sleepy looking Dumbledore warily opened the door, Harry burst through into the office and warned Dumbledore what was coming in a breathless voice.

"Calm down Harry," Dumbledore urged. "I can't understand you."

"Voldemort," Harry panted, doing his best not to talk too quickly. "He's on his way to Hogwarts."

"How sure are you?" Dumbledore questioned with a frown.

"I had a dream," Harry explained. "He was with Lucius and Bellatrix. He clearly said they were coming to Hogwarts."

"Then we have no time to lose," Dumbledore said hurriedly. "Harry, use the floo to go to Grimmauld Place. Warn everyone what's coming and ask them to gather the Order. I'll be there as soon as I can. Ron, you're going to help me wake the staff."

"And then what?" Harry asked.

"We get the students out of Hogwarts and we prepare for a fight," Dumbledore said in a steely voice.

"Do we have time?" Ron asked, looking at Harry.

"I don't know," Harry admitted. "No time scale was mentioned."

"Even Voldemort needs time to gather his forces and come up with a battle plan," Dumbledore reassured the two teenagers. "But we still need to move swiftly. Harry, tell Hermione I'll be sending Madam Pomfrey to be with Lyra. Merlin forbid anything happens to that little angel, but if it does, Madam Pomfrey is the best person to be with her."

With a quick nod, Harry wished Dumbledore and Ron luck as he grabbed some floo powder and headed to Grimmauld Place. Since the attack on The Burrow all the Weasleys, bar Percy who still had his own flat and refused to move, were staying at Grimmauld Place. The move was mainly because The Burrow was currently in a bit of a state and was unsafe, but Harry suspected being at Grimmauld Place where she could help people was helping Molly cope with the loss of her husband.

Harry's arrival in the middle of the night set off an emergency alarm, and he hadn't even made it to the foot of the stairs before a wand light was shined in his eyes and his godfather's voice ordered him to stop where he was.

"Sirius, it's me," Harry called as he shielded his eyes from the bright light.

"Harry," Sirius replied, lowering his lit wand and heading down the stairs towards his godson. "What's wrong? What's happened?"

"Voldemort's planning an attack on Hogwarts," Harry quickly explained. "Dumbledore wants the Order gathered. I think we'll be heading off to Hogwarts to fight. This is the final battle Sirius, I can feel it in my bones."

"Let's hope he brings that snake of his then," Sirius remarked as behind him on the stairs more people began to appear.

Within a couple of minutes, everyone who was currently staying at Grimmauld Place was gathered in the front room and Harry explained everything he knew. While Remus, Sirius and Molly set about contacting the rest of the Order, or people they thought might want to help, Harry headed over to Hermione and told her about Madam Pomfrey arriving to be with Lyra.

"What do I do, Harry?" Hermione asked. "Do I stay here with Lyra, or come with you and fight?"

"I don't know, Hermione," Harry answered honestly. "But my every instinct is screaming to me that this is it. This is the final showdown."

"We know we said we'd stay with you Hermione, but we would like to go and fight," Theo said from Hermione's side.

"Yeah, the time has come to make a stand," Blaise added. "We think we can be of more use in a battle."

"Of course you must go," Hermione said. "I really want to come too, but I hate the thought of leaving Lyra."

"She won't be alone," Theo offered. "Madam Pomfrey will be here, and some other people might likely stay behind."

"Like George," Harry said. "Unless we're going to reveal we faked his death, and that might cause more trouble for Draco, he's going to have to stay out of things. Lyra won't be alone, and you can be back here in an instant. But don't think we're pushing you, Hermione. This is your choice and no-one will judge you for staying with your daughter."

"I'm going to go and get dressed and I'll think it over," Hermione said, before she turned and departed from the front room.

Other people also began to drift off to get dressed, but Harry remained in the front room as a regular flow of Order members trickled into the house. Almost everyone had gathered when Madam Pomfrey arrived from Hogwarts, closely followed by Dumbledore, Ron and Ginny. While Madam Pomfrey headed off to be with Lyra and Hermione, Ron and Ginny were embraced by their family.

"I have to be quick, so can we please be quiet," Dumbledore called. "As you know we're sure that Voldemort is heading to Hogwarts. The students are being gathered in The Great Hall and the Hogwarts Express is making its way to Hogsmeade. Any student of age will be given the chance to remain at school and fight, and the others are going to be sent back to London as soon as possible."

"What about the Slytherins?" Harry asked. "You can't let them fight, or at least not the ones you know will be on Voldemort's side."

"Anyone not on our side will be removed with the other students," Dumbledore said.

"We're going to need protection on that train," Alastor Moody, a former Auror, advised.

"Filius and Pomona will be on the train, but if you want to join them with another couple of people Alastor, I'd be happy with that," Dumbledore said.

"I'll come with you," Kingsley Shackelbolt, a current Auror, volunteered.

"And us," Bill offered, indicating he was offering Charlie's services as well.

"No," Molly cried. "I can't lose any more family."

"We can't sit here and hide, Mum. Like it or not, we're going to fight," Charlie said gently but firmly. "Let us do our part."

"What if something happens to you?" Molly whispered, looking to be on the verge of tears.

"We're just going to have to take that risk," Bill said. "You didn't raise us to be cowards, Mum. Be proud that we're going to fight."

"Those who will be coming on the Hogwarts Express, come back to school with me," Dumbledore said. "Once the students are evacuated, I'll send for the rest of you. Anyone not fighting, should stay here as it's going to be the safest place to be."

"I'm coming back with you," Harry said to Dumbledore. "I might be able to persuade people to stand with us."

Before Dumbledore could reply, Hermione burst into the room, startling everyone. Thoughts instantly turned to Lyra, but Hermione quickly reassured them that her daughter was safe. Madam Pomfrey was looking after her and she was in the same state as she'd been for the last couple of weeks.

"It's a message from Draco," Hermione explained. "I've just had a visit off Tipsy. It was just a brief message, but he was warning us that Voldemort is gathering the Death Eaters. He didn't know where they were going, but they're all to be ready to move at first light."

"Thank you, Hermione," Dumbledore said. "Now we know how much time we have. By first light, we need the students away from Hogwarts and we need to be ready to fight."

"I'll be there," Hermione said to Harry as those who were leaving early got ready to depart. "Draco will be there and I need to see him. Plus I need to fight and stand up to that monster. I hate to leave Lyra, but I can't stay here and do nothing."

"See you at school then," Harry said with a grim smile as he gave her a quick hug and headed back to Hogwarts to prepare for the biggest day of his life.

* * *

 **::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::**

* * *

Since the day Voldemort had snapped Lyra's ribbon and started using his mother against him, Draco hadn't gotten very little sleep. Every time he closed his eyes he either saw his mother being tortured at his own hand, or his sweet, innocent daughter lying dead. The fact he didn't even know if Dumbledore's protection spells had worked on Lyra made things so much worse, and even though he hoped for the best, he couldn't help but think the worst. It almost destroyed him to think that his little girl might be dead and Hermione would be going through hell, and he wasn't there for them. Instead he was stuck as Voldemort's prisoner until The Dark Lord's temper snapped and he killed Draco in a fit of rage.

On one of the rare nights where Draco had managed to drift off into a fairly dreamless sleep, he was roughly jolted awake by his father. Lucius was smirking smugly at his son and he took great pleasure in announcing that the final battle was at hand. He refused to give details of where they were going, but he made it clear that Draco was to be ready and downstairs for first light.

"Don't be late Draco, or your mother will feel The Dark Lord's wrath," Lucius warned as he swept out of his son's room.

Getting out of bed with a terrible feeling in the pit of his stomach, Draco headed into the bathroom to start getting ready. It was still several hours until first light, but he knew he wouldn't be able to get back to sleep. As he took a bracing shower he couldn't help but wish he could warn Hermione of what was happening, but then Tipsy entered his head. He hadn't dared use his mother's elf for weeks because he was afraid Voldemort and Lucius were keeping an eye on him, but things were different now. They'd already done what they could to Lyra, and yes his mother was still in the firing line, but Draco knew she would urge him to take the risk and try and warn Hermione and the Order of what was to come.

Making sure both his bedroom door and the bathroom door were shut, Draco remained in the bathroom as he quietly called for Tipsy. When the elf appeared the first thing he did was ask about Lyra, and he sagged against the wall in relief when Tipsy confirmed that she was alive. She was in a coma, but she was alive and she had strong protection spells around her.

"I have to be quick," Draco whispered to the elf. "You need to go to Hermione and tell her an attack is imminent. The Death Eaters are being gathered and we're expected to move at first light. I don't know where we're going, but the Order need to be prepared. Oh and Tipsy, tell Hermione that mother and I love her and Lyra so much."

Draco felt a sense of relief as Tipsy disappeared with the message, and knowing he'd done all he could to try and aid the Order, he slowly got dressed. He was ready with plenty of time to spare and waiting downstairs before first light. When Voldemort appeared with Bellatrix at his side, he gave Draco an approving nod to see him ready and waiting.

"Nice to see you're keen, Draco," Voldemort drawled. "Now give me your wand."

"My wand?" Draco questioned in bewilderment.

"Your wand," Voldemort repeated. "Or do you need a reminder that I'm the boss?" He asked as he snapped his fingers.

When Lucius appeared from the shadows with Narcissa, Draco wasted no time to pulling his wand out of his pocket and handing it to Voldemort. Draco watched silently as Voldemort removed his own wand and cast several spells on Draco's, before handing it back to him.

"Now just in case you go getting any ideas once we're at our destination, I've put a few special spells on your wand," Voldemort said. "Anything you do to anyone with a Dark Mark will also happen to your mother. Even a simple spell to stun someone, will knock your mother out. I take it you don't need an example."

"No. I don't need an example," Draco answered quickly. It was obvious that Voldemort had made it so that he couldn't fight against his fellow Death Eaters, and while it was frustrating, it would just mean he would have to be careful over the coming hours.

"I rather thought you would understand the implications right away," Voldemort said with a chuckle as out of nowhere his creepy snake slithered across the floor and wound itself around his ankles. "You just remember that once we're in battle. And just in case you're thinking of running off, I've cast a spell on Nagini so she knows where you are. Nagini will be staying with your mother, and if she senses you've left the battle, your mother will be bitten. And just in case you're not sure, her venom is poisonous. Your mother would be dead before you could get back here to her."

"I won't run," Draco promised. "And I won't fight any Death Eaters."

"We shall see, won't we," Voldemort said with a smirk.

Turning away from Draco, he bent down to whisper to his snake in Parseltongue. Draco couldn't understand what Voldemort said, but Nagini hissed in response and slithered over to Narcissa.

"Oh, and don't you think of running, Narcissa," Voldemort warned. "Lucius has altered the wards so you can't use magic to leave, and the second you take one step outside of the manor, Nagini will kill you."

Finally satisfied that he still had both Draco and Narcissa exactly where he wanted them, Voldemort announced it was time to go. First they were meeting up with the other Death Eaters, and then they were going to surprise the Order. They were going to initiate the battle that would determine once and for all who would win the war and emerge victorious.


	34. Chapter 34

The students of Hogwarts were more than a bit concerned when they were woken in the middle of the night and given orders to quickly dress and pack a small bag of their belongings that they didn't want to be parted with. The students were then gathered in the Great Hall, most of them still half asleep, and informed that Hogwarts was about to come under attack and for their own safety, they were being evacuated.

The older students were given the chance to stay behind and fight, but that opportunity was not presented to certain Slytherins. It didn't matter how much they protested it was clear that Dumbledore and the staff were only letting certain people stay behind. With no other choice but to leave the Slytherins found themselves evacuated and hustled onto The Hogwarts Express along with the other students.

Normally The Hogwarts Express was adult free, but that particular evening several Professors were aboard the train as well as several other adults as it pulled out of Hogsmeade station. The adults spent their time patrolling the train and assuring the scared students that everything would be okay, while in their compartment Pansy, Daphne, Crabbe and Goyle complained about the unfairness of the situation.

"We have to do something," Pansy said firmly. "We have to get a message to The Dark Lord and let him know what's going on."

After receiving their Dark Marks over Easter, the foursome had then had a private meeting with Voldemort where he'd asked them to keep him informed if anything happened they felt he needed to know about. Even though he'd concealed their marks, he'd shown them how to use them to get in touch with him in case of an emergency. As it was, nothing had happened to warrant them using their marks, but now they knew this was the time to do so.

"I'll do it," Daphne volunteered. One of the things Voldemort had made clear was that if they sent him a message it was to be short and to the point, and Daphne knew she would be the one who could get the message across without rambling.

"Goyle, watch the door," Pansy instructed. "We don't want anyone coming poking around while Daphne's busy."

With Goyle keeping watch, Daphne rolled back her left sleeve. Even though the mark was hidden from view, she could feel the magic pulsing on her wrist and she had no problem settling her fingers over the mark. Closing her eyes she focused on Voldemort and once she felt the magic flowing from the mark she briefly thought about what she wanted to tell Voldemort. Keeping the message short, she told him that they were currently on The Hogwarts Express after being evacuated from school and Dumbledore was back at Hogwarts preparing for some sort of attack. She repeated the message twice, just to be sure it got through and was rewarded with Voldemort's voice in her head thanking her.

"I did it," Daphne gasped, her eyes flying open as she heard The Dark Lord in her head. "He got the message and he thanked me."

"So what happens now?" Crabbe asked as Goyle left his position beside the door and sat back down next to him.

"I don't know," Daphne admitted. "I guess all we can do is wait."

"I for one, hope he turns up and stops this train," Pansy said. "I want to get back to Hogwarts if there's going to be a battle."

"Are you ready to fight, Pansy?" Daphne asked.

"Yes, I wouldn't have taken the mark otherwise," Pansy replied. "Are you ready, Daph?"

"I am," Daphne said with a determined nod. She'd never been sure about fighting before, but being whisked away from a potential battle had got her juices flowing and now she wanted nothing more than to return to Hogwarts and fight for her chosen side.

With nothing else to do but wait, the foursome lapsed into silence as they all wondered how The Dark Lord would react to the news Daphne had delivered to him. Although they didn't have to wait long and just over ten minutes after Daphne had been in contact with Voldemort, the lights on The Hogwarts Express began to flicker and the train began to slow. As the train ground to a halt, the lights went off completely and screams of terrified students echoed up and down the silent train.

Before the group even had a chance to share their delight at some action, sounds of fighting could be heard from the corridors of the train. Carefully, Crabbe and Goyle eased open the door, and they were greeted by the sight of a flash of red magic going flying past their compartment. Gingerly poking their heads out into the corridor they spotted Death Eaters battling with the professors and Order members on the train. A few other students were doing the same, but most of the compartment doors were shut tight.

"It's all going off out there," Crabbe said as he pulled his head back to avoid accidental injury.

"I'd say the Death Eaters have them outnumbered," Goyle added gleefully.

"Let's hope they kill the lot of them," Pansy snarled.

Unfortunately they never got to find out how things ended up on the train as a couple of Death Eaters poked their heads into the compartment, and pulling off their masks, they revealed themselves to be Pansy and Daphne's fathers.

"The Dark Lord is very impressed with you four," Mr Parkinson said.

"You're going to come with us, and if you want, you can join us at Hogwarts," Mr Greengrass added.

"What's going to happen here?" Pansy asked as she took hold of her father's arm and he also took hold of Goyle, while Mr Greengrass took hold of Crabbe and Daphne.

"Anyone who wants to join us will leave like you are," Mr Parkinson replied. "Once we're all free and clear, everyone will disembark and I'm guessing the train will carry on back down to London. Now we don't have much time, so let's go."

Without even getting a chance to sneak a peek out into the corridor where the fight was continuing, the four teenagers were whisked away from The Hogwarts Express and found themselves joining up with the other Death Eaters who were preparing to launch a brutal attack on Hogwarts. The foursome were going to be in the thick of the action and they couldn't be happier.

* * *

 **::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::**

* * *

While Hogwarts was being evacuated, the Order were gathering at Grimmauld Place. Everyone had been busy and they'd reached out to as many people as they could, and fortunately they'd had a good response. It had been decided that those who weren't fighting were to remain at Grimmauld Place as it was going to be the safest place to be, not that there were many as everyone wanted to play their part in taking down Voldemort and his followers once and for all.

However, Dumbledore was also wanting to set up a medical base in Hogwarts so those injured during the battle could seek medical help. With Madam Pomfrey refusing to leave Lyra's side, it was decided that Molly would take charge of the medical base at Hogwarts. Andromeda Tonks and Neville's grandmother, Augusta, volunteered to help her and all three witches agreed that if they were called upon to fight, they would fight.

When word came from Hogwarts that the students had left and it was time to move, people began to exit Grimmauld Place and head to the castle. Hermione was among the stragglers and she remained at Grimmauld Place for as long as she could, not wanting to be parted from her daughter.

"Go," George urged her as he walked her towards the fireplace. "You know Hogwarts is where you want to be."

"But I shouldn't be leaving her," Hermione sighed. "She's my responsibility, and I'm leaving her."

"You can't do anything here, Hermione," George said gently. "You're more use up at Hogwarts. Go and fight for your daughter's future. Go and help free us all. I promise, I won't leave Lyra's side."

"Thank you George," Hermione said as she gave the redhead a tight hug. She knew he would also rather by fighting, but he was staying behind in order to keep up his pretence of being dead so that Draco would be safe.

Wiping away her tears, Hermione took a few calming breaths before she flooed to Hogwarts and stepped into the madness up in Scotland. With no precise timeline for an attack, everything was being done as quickly as possible in order to fortify the castle. Heavy wards were being erected around the grounds of Hogwarts by almost every adult on site. The wards wouldn't keep Voldemort and his Death Eaters out forever, but it would give everyone in the castle advanced warning of an attack. The four house dorms were also being secured as they hadn't had time to be cleared out completely and Dumbledore was wanting to limit the damage to students' possessions.

Leaping into action, Hermione began to help Molly, Andromeda and Augusta set up the medical base in the Great Hall. It was easier than using the hospital wing as it was much more central to the castle and no-one would hopefully have any real problems getting to it if they needed help.

Hermione was in the middle of helping Andromeda with the potions supplies when Neville burst into The Great Hall and announced that The Hogwarts Express was under attack.

"Bill and Charlie are on that train," Molly gasped as she went deathly white and had to be propped up by Neville's gran.

"They'll be okay, Molly, your boys are strong," Augusta said supportively. "What's happening Neville, are we sending a rescue party?"

"Dumbledore and Harry are sorting it," Neville said, just as Dumbledore, Harry and a group of Order members poured into the Great Hall.

"What is it's a trap?" Harry was asking Dumbledore. "What if we leave Hogwarts and they attack?"

"The wards should hold for a while," Dumbledore answered with a sigh. "But trap or not, we have to respond Harry. That train is carrying hundreds of innocent students."

"I know that, I'm just saying we need to be careful," Harry replied. "We need to keep a strong presence at Hogwarts."

"Harry's right," Sirius said, backing up his godson. "We need to help, but we can't risk all of us in the process. Let's send a small party to help out The Hogwarts Express."

Nodding in agreement, Dumbledore gathered a dozen people, and putting Snape in charge of the group, they headed off to help The Hogwarts Express. For those left behind all they could do was wait and carry on fortifying the castle from an attack. Only now, they had to leave a small portion of the castle un-warded so that the rescue party and any casualties could return to the castle.

"I hope everyone's okay," Hermione said as the youngsters all gathered to wait in the Great Hall for news.

She'd been surprised to see so many of her fellow students had stuck around to fight, but she was proud of the fact so many people were willing to stand up against Voldemort and his dark forces. In fact the general turnout was pretty impressive and Hermione had already seen plenty of former students who had returned to the castle to fight. Fred had rounded up lots of his and George's friends, and from there word had spread and more people had turned up to fight. Then there were the older people who'd been contacted by the older members of the Order. All in all they had large numbers on their side, and Hermione hoped they were be enough to see off Voldemort and his forces.

The wait for news was nerve wracking, but finally there was some action and people began to return to Hogwarts. It was immediately clear that not of the all rescue team had returned. A small portion of the group had returned with a couple of injured people, which were Bill and Kingsley. They'd also brought with them the body of Professor Sprout, who'd bravely given her life to save the students.

"What happened?" Harry demanded as Bill and Kingsley were settled down to receive medical treatment.

"The train was ambushed," Kingsley answered. "We were outnumbered, but we tried our best to keep them away from the children."

"It appears that several groups of Slytherins are gone," McGonagall explained. She'd been part of the group who had went to answer the distress call aboard The Hogwarts Express. "Apart from the missing students, everyone else is safe. The others have stayed to make up the numbers and they'll be back as soon as they can."

"What happened to Professor Sprout?" Neville asked, gazing down at the prone body of his favourite Professor with tears in his eyes.

"She tried to stop the Death Eaters getting into the compartments," Bill answered quietly. "She died protecting the students."

"Lyra," Hermione suddenly cried, the word protection jolting her thoughts back to her daughter. "Professor Sprout offered her protection to Lyra, what will happen now she's dead?"

"Lyra will be fine, she's got the protection of everyone else still in place," Dumbledore reassured Hermione. "I'm sure Madam Pomfrey would have alerted us to any problems with your daughter. But she's so heavily protected, Pomona's loss won't have had much of an effect on her."

"We're the ones affected by her loss," Hermione whispered, pushing aside worries about her daughter as she knew Dumbledore was right and that she was still safe. "We're going to miss her."

"Indeed we are," Dumbledore said with a solemn nod of his head.

"Are you coming with us?" Ron asked Hermione as people began to arrive to pay their respects for Professor Sprout.

"Where to?" Hermione asked.

"The Astronomy Tower," Harry replied. "It's the tallest tower in the castle and offers views all around the grounds. We want to see the enemy approaching."

"I'll come," Hermione said with a nod.

Blaise, Theo, Neville and Ginny also joined the trio as they headed up to The Astronomy Tower. Up in the tower the seven teenagers positioned themselves around the tower so they had a viewpoint of the entire grounds and its surrounding area. Despite it still being night-time there was still enough light to see by as the moon was half full and pretty bright.

"What's the red shimmer around the castle?" Ginny asked.

"The protection spells," Hermione answered. "They form a sort of dome around the castle. I was speaking to McGonagall earlier and she says we will be able to visually see any attacks on the wards as well as hear them."

"Another early warning system," Harry said. "When they come, we're going to be ready for them."

"Let's just hope he has his snake with him," Ron muttered.

"Snake?" Neville questioned, nervously looking around at his friends and the two Slytherins. "No-one mentioned a snake."

"It's Voldemort's," Harry said. "I'll not go into details, but we need to kill the snake before we can kill Voldemort."

"Do you have something to destroy it with?" Blaise asked.

"I do, and that reminds me, I've got something for you all," Harry said as he reached into the bag slung over his shoulder and pulled out several white fangs, which he handed around.

"And this is?" Theo asked.

"A Basilisk fang," Harry answered. "I went and retrieved them from the Chamber of Secrets while Dumbledore was evacuating the castle. The fang will destroy the snake. Dumbledore and some of the others also have them, but I felt as though we should all have one as well. If you see the snake, kill it."

"Will do," Blaise said with a firm nod as he tucked the fang safely into his pocket.

Everyone else tucked their fangs away for safe keeping and turned their attention back towards to the night sky. After a couple of minutes, Neville gave a small cry and pointed into the distance, towards Hogsmeade.

"I can see shapes moving, I'm sure I can," he cried.

"He's right," Theo agreed. "It's bloody hard to see, but there are figures down there."

As they watched the figures seemed to swell in numbers and as the sun began to rise the group of Death Eaters approaching the castle were clearly visible.

"This is it," Harry whispered as the group shared a final look down at the approaching enemy, before turning and leaving the Astronomy Tower to warn everyone else that it was time. "Let's go to war."


	35. Chapter 35

Draco felt sick to the stomach when he realised the final destination for the Death Eaters was Hogwarts. He was initially horrified that The Dark Lord would even consider attacking the school with all those innocent children present, but then he thought about what he'd done to Lyra and reminded himself that Voldemort was inhuman. If he could inflict such pain on an innocent baby, then he would feel no compassion towards school aged children.

When Voldemort suddenly announced that Hogwarts had been evacuated, Draco was relieved but his relief didn't last long as The Dark Lord sent a group to ambush the train. The half hour the group were gone was agony for Draco, and he was disgusted when they returned with plenty of his former house mates in tow. Not only were his former friends with the dark, but plenty of younger children were with them. Draco was hoping that the younger children wouldn't be expected to fight, but lots of them had parents among the Death Eaters and it soon became clear that anyone who wanted to fight was going to, no matter their age.

As the Death Eaters got ready to leave for Hogwarts, Draco avoided acknowledging his former friends. Instead he let his mind wander to Hermione, and if she would be present at the battle. Part of him hoped that she would be as he was desperate to see her, but another part of him hoped that she was safely tucked away where no harm would befall her.

"Draco, we're ready," Lucius called, pulling his son out of his thoughts.

Without another word, Lucius grabbed hold of Draco and they apparated to Hogsmeade. Within minutes the village was overrun with Death Eaters, and Draco spotted several villagers peering out of their windows in terror. Fortunately for the residents of Hogsmeade, the Death Eaters had other business and Voldemort led the charge towards Hogwarts.

As they neared the castle, Draco spotted that the school was surrounded by a shimmering dome. The red sparks in the dome indicated the presence of magic, and Draco couldn't help but smile at the fact that the Order were prepared. At least those inside the castle would have warning of their approach as before they could enter the school grounds, the dark had to first break through the protection spells.

"Give it all you've got," Voldemort ordered with a low growl as he raised his wand and the Death Eaters around him did the same.

Voldemort had no idea how the Order had been prepared for their attack, and he was annoyed that the element of surprise was now lost to them. In other circumstances he would have looked closer at Draco, but he knew there was no way the young wizard could have forewarned the Order. Even if he did have a way to reach the Order, which Voldemort doubted, he hadn't known where they were going until after they'd left the manor. Besides, Voldemort had seen the look of horror on his face when he announced just where they were heading, so there was no way Draco had been the one to alert the Order to their arrival.

While the Death Eaters set about breaking down the protective spells around the castle, Draco kept his wand sheathed. If he was forced to, he would help, but he wasn't going to do anything to aid that dark unless he had no choice. Luckily for Draco he was pretty much left alone as Voldemort and his Death Eaters focused on gaining access to the castle. Finally after nearly forty minutes of the dark throwing everything they had at the light's magic, the dome began to splinter, and one final blast of dark magic from Voldemort's wand sent the wards crashing down.

"Let's go," Voldemort cried as he surged forward onto school grounds.

Even though he had no desire to fight, Draco ensured he was near the front of the group heading towards the castle. However, he stayed off to the side slightly and he was hoping to slip away from the Death Eaters at the first opportunity. Obviously he wasn't going to leave school grounds, and he was going to be pretty useless in helping the Order fight, but he wasn't going to stick around with the dark if he could help it.

As the castle came into view, Draco could see the Order gathered in the courtyard. Dumbledore was visible even from a distance, standing at the head of a hefty group of people ready to fight for their freedom. The closer they got to the Order, Draco began to scour the crowds for Hermione. While he spotted some other Professors alongside Dumbledore, and some Weasleys, he didn't see his girlfriend. Nor could he see any of her friends or Blaise and Theo.

"Stop," Voldemort ordered as the group reached the edge of the courtyard. "Dumbledore," he greeted with a polite incline of his head.

"Tom," Dumbledore replied. "Do you really want to do this?"

"You're expecting me to back off?" Voldemort chuckled. "This is the end, Dumbledore, surely you can see that."

"You're right Tom, it is the end," Dumbledore said softly. "This ends today."

"I couldn't have said it better myself," Voldemort replied. "We can do this the hard way, or the easy way. Give us Potter and no-one else has to die today."

"If you want me, you're going to have to come and get me," Harry's voice called from near the back of the crowd.

Draco followed the sound of Harry's voice and finally spotted him standing on a wall beside the castle. Ron was standing at his right hand side and next to him stood Neville. However, Draco's focus was on Harry's left hand side as that was where Hermione was standing along with Blaise and Theo. The six teenagers all had their wands out, and there was fire in their eyes.

It seemed to take an age for Hermione to look his way, but finally she did and for Draco time froze as he gazed into Hermione's eyes. She was clearly ready to fight, but he could also see the sadness and heartbreak in her expression and he knew that he was partly to blame for some of the suffering she'd endured these last few months. He hadn't liked what he'd been forced to do, but he'd done it to save Lyra, then in the end it was all for nothing as Voldemort still snapped his daughter's ribbon. All Draco could hope now was that Dumbledore's protection spell on Lyra had worked and that his daughter was relatively safe somewhere.

Draco was still focused on Hermione when all hell suddenly broke loose and the two groups charged at each other. Within seconds Draco had lost sight of Hermione and he was gripped with terror that something would happen to her before he could find her. Even though he knew his magic would be of no use against the Death Eaters, Draco still pulled his wand out and began making his way to where he'd last seen Hermione.

With no mask and robes, Draco wasn't mistaken for a real enemy by the Order, although he was also guessing that they all knew he'd been forced onto the dark. However, a few of the Death Eaters weren't opposed to trying to get a dig in at Draco and he found himself hit by a couple of curses. Not able to strike back with magic, Draco lashed out with his fists and inflicted as much physical damage as he could. After breaking the nose of a Death Eater who'd lost his mask, word seemed to spread that Draco was still a threat and the attempts to engage him in battle seemed to falter.

Not that it was any easier to get across the courtyard and Draco was bleeding and frustrated as he finally reached the wall he'd seen Hermione and her friends standing on. Looking around he found no sign of Hermione and her friends, although everywhere he looked he could see the Order standing their ground against the Death Eaters. If anything, the Order looked to have more forces and Draco prayed that they came out on top.

With no sign of Hermione, Draco checked in case anyone nearby needed his help. Spotting Dean Thomas and Seamus Finnigan trying to dodge curses from the wand of Rabastan Lestrange, Draco picked up a rock and circling around behind Rabastan he lunged at the Death Eater, crashing the rock into his head. Rabastan went toppling to the ground, and even though he didn't get back up again, Draco didn't think he was dead.

"Thanks Malfoy," Dean gasped as he and Seamus tried to get their breath back.

"You're welcome," Draco replied. "Have either of you seen Hermione?"

"Not since the fighting began," Seamus replied.

"It's been too hard to keep track of anyone," Dean added. "But I'm sure she'll be fine. She's a tough one is Hermione."

"Yes, she is," Draco agreed as he left the two Gryffindors and once again went in search of his girlfriend.

Five minutes later he spotted Hermione expertly dealing with a masked Death Eater. He also spotted Ron closer to him, but his focus was on Hermione. Calling his girlfriend's name, Draco began to run towards his girlfriend. Hermione looked up at the sound of her name being called and a wide smile graced her face as she spotted Draco. However, seconds later her smile disappeared and a look of horror replaced it. At first Draco thought something had happened to her, but when she screamed his name, he realised he was the one in danger. Turning his head, Draco spotted Rodolphus smirking at him before something crashed into him from the side and he was sent sprawling to the floor in a heap.

Too far away to do anything, but close enough to see everything, Hermione's heart was in her mouth as she watched Ron leap into action and selflessly push Draco out of the way and save him from whatever curse Rodolphus had aimed at his back. Draco and Ron went crashing to the floor together and screaming their names, Hermione sprinted over to them.

"Draco, Ron," Hermione cried, reaching her boyfriend and best friend. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," Draco answered, half lying under Ron who was a dead weight on top of him. "What happened?"

"Ron?" Hermione asked, shaking her friend. "Ron," she screamed when her friend's body slumped off Draco and rolled to the floor.

"Bloody hell," Draco gasped as he sat up and spotted Ron's lifeless body beside him. "What happened?"

"He saved you," Hermione whispered as tears began to roll down her cheeks as she checked Ron's pulse and found he had none. "Rodolphus was going to curse you. Ron pushed you out of the way."

"And got hit instead of me," Draco said softly, swallowing a lump in his throat at the thought of Ron giving his life for him. "I'm sorry."

"This isn't your fault," Hermione hissed, wiping at her tears and pulling her boyfriend into her arms. "Ron was a hero, he was doing the right thing."

"Then let's do the right thing for him and move him," Draco said. He wanted nothing more than to keep hold of Hermione, but he knew they were in danger where they were. "I'll carry him, you give us cover."

"Can you manage on your own?" Hermione asked.

"Yes," Draco replied as he cast a lightweight spell on Ron's body. Carefully he picked up the boy who'd once been his enemy and had now saved his life, and following Hermione's lead, headed towards the castle.

Inside the castle the battles were still raging but protection spells seemed to have been placed on the Great Hall as there was no violence in the room. In fact when Draco entered behind Hermione, he realised he was the only person in the room who bore the Dark Mark. Everyone else was associated with the Order and the room had clearly been turned into a make shift hospital wing.

"Ron," Molly wailed as she spotted Ron and came running over to them.

"I'm sorry Molly, he's gone," Hermione said gently as Draco placed Ron down on an empty bed.

"What happened?" Molly cried as she collapsed at her son's side.

"He saved my life," Draco replied in a hoarse voice. "He's a hero, Mrs Weasley. I'll never forget what he's done for me as long as I live."

"No-one will," Hermione said as she hugged Molly.

Leaving Molly to weep over her son, Hermione pulled Draco to one side before launching herself at him and wrapping her arms tightly around him.

"I've missed you so much," she sobbed.

"I've missed you too," Draco replied, shedding a few tears of his own as he was reunited with the love of his life. "How's Lyra?" he asked, lifting Hermione's head so he could see her face. "I couldn't stop him from snapping the ribbon. He wanted me to kill Mother, and I just couldn't do it."

"Lyra's fine," Hermione assured her boyfriend. "Dumbledore's protection spell worked and loads of other people added their protection. She's safe at Order headquarters. How are you?"

"Not great, but I'm alive," Draco replied honestly.

"And Narcissa?" Hermione asked.

"She's at home being guarded by Voldemort's damn snake," Draco said. "If I leave the battle, the snake will bite her and if she tries to run, the snake will bite her."

"Nagini's at the manor?" Hermione gasped.

"Yes, is that important?" Draco asked.

"Vitally," Hermione answered as she took hold of Draco's hand and dragged him over to the far corner of the Great Hall. Once she was sure no-one could overhear them, she quietly called for Tipsy.

"Master Draco, you're safe," Tipsy cried, throwing her small arms around Draco's legs.

"I am," Draco replied, patting the elf on her back.

"Is Lyra okay?" Hermione checked with the elf. Even though Madam Pomfrey and George were with Lyra, Hermione had asked Tipsy to also stay at Grimmauld Place with her daughter.

"Little Miss Lyra is still sleeping," Tipsy replied with a sad sigh. "But Mr George is with her. He's funny is Mr George."

"He is," Hermione agreed with a small smile. "Now I want you to do something very important for me Tipsy," she said to the elf as she pulled her basilisk fang from her pocket and held it out for the elf. "I want you to take this fang to Narcissa. Be careful and don't let the snake see or hear you. Tell Narcissa she needs to use the fang to kill the snake. We can't kill Voldemort until she does. Stay with her and the second the snake is dead, take Narcissa to Lyra and then come back and tell me. Can you do that, Tipsy?"

"Yes, Tipsy can do that," Tipsy replied with a determined nod of her head.

"Wait," Draco said, stopping the elf before she vanished. "The wards should prevent mother from leaving the manor."

"I know," Hermione replied with a nod. "If I thought we could have used Tipsy to get you and Narcissa out of there sooner, I would have done it months ago."

"So why do you think it's going to work now?" Draco asked.

"Because Voldemort and your father are here and they're distracted," Hermione explained. "I'm hoping and praying that Tipsy can get Narcissa out before they realise what's going on, but it was too risky to chance it when they were at the manor. We were lucky they never noticed Tipsy's visits as it was."

"Okay, but Tipsy you might have to really batter the wards to get through them with mother," Draco advised the self. "Use everything you have to get mother out of there."

"Yes, master Draco," Tipsy said with a solemn nod.

"Go," Hermione urged. "Tell Narcissa we love her and we have faith in her."

As Tipsy vanished, Hermione hoped she'd made the right decision in not going with the elf. Part of her wanted to go and help Narcissa, but she knew it would be easier for Tipsy to deliver her message if she was alone. Besides, she had every faith in Narcissa and she knew that Draco's mother could handle herself and was more than capable of destroying Nagini. She just hoped she could then leave with Tipsy if the little elf used every ounce of her powerful magic.

"What on earth if going on?" Draco asked in confusion, not sure what his girlfriend had just asked his mother to do.

"It's a long story, but basically part of Voldemort's soul is in Nagini," Hermione quickly explained. "We've destroyed his other pieces of soul, and this is the last one. Once it's destroyed, Voldemort is vulnerable again and he can be killed."

"So until the snake is killed, he's invincible?" Draco checked, not liking the sound of that at all.

"In a way," Hermione replied. "Don't worry about it, Draco, everything's in hand. Now come on, we need to find Harry. He needs to know about Ron, but he also needs to know about Nagini."

Taking hold of his girlfriend's hand, Draco accompanied Hermione back into the fray as they set out to find Harry and bring him up to date with what had so far being an eventful final battle.


	36. Chapter 36

**A/N – Just to avoid any confusion I just want to say that this chapter goes back to the start of the battle and gets things from Harry's perspective.**

* * *

Upon spotting the approaching Death Eaters from their vantage point in the Astronomy Tower, Harry led the group of teenagers back down to the main body of the school so they could prepare the Order. Fortunately the Order had been ready and it didn't take them long to ensure they were ready for battle.

"I've put an enchantment over The Great Hall," Dumbledore informed the teenagers. "Now no-one with a Dark Mark can enter, so those inside will be safe."

"What about Draco?" Hermione questioned with a frown. "What if he needs medical attention?"

"And Professor Snape," Theo added. Despite Draco being with the enemy, the potions Professor had made no move to leave the light as he explained it was time for his true allegiance to be known.

"I've made exceptions for both Draco and Severus," Dumbledore answered. "They can enter The Great Hall, but no other Death Eaters can. Now do you all know what you're doing?"

"Yeah, we're looking for the snake," Ron replied.

"Until then you need to stay out of Voldemort's clutches, Harry," Dumbledore warned. "I know you'll not want to, but you have to stay as far away from him as possible. I want you at the back when he arrives."

"I guess I can do that," Harry muttered.

"We'll stay with you," Ron offered, patting his best friend on the back. "We'll all stand together. I'm sure we can find a vantage point that will help us find the snake."

"Ron's right, we're in this together," Hermione agreed as she gave Harry a quick hug.

Theo, Blaise and Neville all also vowed to stand with Harry, and that was how the six teenagers came to be standing on the wall at the back of the group standing against Voldemort when The Dark Lord and his followers entered Hogwarts. However, despite their vow to stick together it was impossible for them to keep to it once the fighting started. Within two minutes of the first curses been thrown, Harry had already lost track of both Hermione and Ron. Although he suspected Hermione was trying to make her way to Draco as Harry knew his best friend had caught sight of her boyfriend.

Trying to keep out of the thick of the fighting was hard, but Harry knew it had to be done as he couldn't risk getting killed before it was time to confront Voldemort. It also wasn't easy trying to track down Nagini, and Harry had been very disappointed when he'd seen no sign of the snake when Voldemort had first approached the castle. It would have been easier if they'd managed to set eyes on Nagini straight away, but they hadn't and they were now forced to keep one eye out for a deadly snake as they tried to stay alive.

Despite keeping away from Voldemort and the band of Death Eaters he kept close at his side, Harry still had to fight and he found himself facing several different Death Eaters over the first half hour of the battle. Fortunately the Order and their supporters outnumbered the Death Eaters and more often than not, Harry had help in seeing off the enemy.

After Charlie had saved him from a Death Eater trying to attack him from behind, Harry decided to retreat into the castle and see if he could find any of the others to see if they'd located Nagini. Keeping his wand at his side the entire time, Harry cautiously made his way back into the castle. By this point the fighting had moved into the castle and as Harry dodged around Sirius, who was battling a Death Eater with a manic grin on his face, he glanced upwards and spotted Blaise and Theo on the floor above, their backs to the wall as their former friends cornered them.

Harry could see that Crabbe and Goyle were using their bulk to keep the two Slytherins in place, while Pansy and Daphne looked to be the ones doing the talking. Although both witches also had their wands out and Harry suspected they were throwing the odd hex Blaise and Theo's way. After everything the pair had done for Hermione, Harry couldn't just leave them to it, so he ran around to the back staircase and sprinted up a flight of stairs.

Fortunately for Harry the Slytherins were too busy taunting Blaise and Theo to notice his approach. Harry bristled when he heard Daphne laughing about how Voldemort had Draco exactly where he wanted him, and how he planned on killing Hermione and making Draco watch. Pansy then began to brag that either she or Daphne would marry Draco and provide him with a suitable male heir, rather than the tainted female one Hermione had given him.

"You evil little tarts," Harry yelled, surging out of the shadows, his wand aimed at Pansy and Daphne. "Expelliarmus!"

The spell sent Daphne's wand flying from her hand, and without thinking the Slytherin witch turned and tried to catch the wand before it fell over the railing and down to the ground floor. Surprisingly she did manage to catch the piece of wood, however in doing so she unbalanced herself and with a loud scream she went tumbling over the railing. Harry winced at the sound of Daphne's body thudding to the floor below.

"Daphne!" Pansy screamed, peering over the railing and screaming when she spotted her friend lying on the floor, blood pooling around her head. "You killed her," she seethed, turning back to Harry with a dangerous glint in her eyes.

"I'll do the same to you if you don't back off," Harry warned, holding his wand out in front of him. "This is your one chance, Parkinson. Run now or join Daphne in the afterlife."

"I'm not running," Pansy sneered.

"Care to think again, Pansy?" Blaise asked with a smirk, drawing Pansy's attention to him and Theo.

Blaise and Theo now had Crabbe and Goyle in head locks with their wands pressed to their throats. Both Crabbe and Goyle had lost concentration when Harry had arrived and Daphne had fallen over the balcony, so Blaise and Theo had taken their opportunity and gotten the upper hand. Knowing she was alone, Pansy spat at Harry before turning and running down the corridor, not even giving Crabbe and Goyle a second thought.

"Bitch," Harry muttered, wiping at his face and turning to his new found Slytherin friends. "Stun these two and tie them up. I'm sure Parkinson will be caught sooner or later."

Two minutes later, Crabbe and Goyle were stunned and tied together. Leaving them in a classroom secured by every spell they knew, the trio then headed towards the stairs to try and find someone and let them know they had prisoners, and a dead Daphne somewhere on the ground floor. Halfway down the stairs, Theo suddenly froze and letting out a loud gasp, he alerted Blaise and Harry to the couple darting out of the Great Hall.

"Draco," Blaise cried, thrilled to see his best friend.

Blaise's cry stopped Hermione and Draco in their tracks, and Draco's face broke into a smile as he set eyes on his two best friends. Flying down the stairs as fast as they could, Blaise and Theo embraced Draco as Harry gave Hermione a hug and let her know how pleased he was that she was reunited with her boyfriend.

"Yet, you don't seem happy," Harry remarked as he truly looked at Hermione and saw she'd been crying.

"It's Ron," Hermione said softly.

"No," Harry interrupted, shaking his head as he sensed what Hermione was going to tell him.

"I saw it," Hermione whispered. "He's gone, Harry."

"No," Harry cried, holding onto Hermione as the reality of losing his best friend hit him.

"What's wrong?" Blaise asked, not having heard what Hermione was telling Harry as he was too busy with Draco.

"Ron's dead," Hermione explained as she held back her own tears.

"I don't believe it," Theo gasped. "Are you sure?"

"We're sure," Draco said quietly. "He died saving me. I owe him my life."

"Where is he?" Harry asked, still holding onto Hermione.

"In the Great Hall," Hermione answered. "Come on, let's go and see him."

Harry and Hermione led the way back into the Great Hall, where they found Ron had been placed on a bed over beside the window. Molly was sitting at his side crying quietly, and her sobs got louder as Harry ran over to her and embraced her. Hermione also joined the sobbing pair, and together the trio cried over their loss.

"It's so sad," Blaise said in a choked up voice as he, Theo and Draco kept a respectable distance from the mourning.

"It is," Draco agreed, watching as Harry leaned over Ron and gave his best friend a final hug.

Hermione and Harry stayed with Molly for another few minutes, before they returned to the Slytherins, wiping at their tears. To be honest neither of them had really began to process their grief, they were merely pushing it aside to deal with matters at hand. Before they could really mourn Ron, and anyone else who would lose their lives, they had to defeat Voldemort.

"We need to find that damn snake," Harry spat. "I want to end this."

"I've got some good news on that front, we've located Nagini," Hermione said.

"Where?" Harry asked, pulling out his basilisk fang. "I want to gut the horrid thing."

"It's at the manor guarding mother," Draco explained.

"Shit," Harry swore, kicking at a chair and sending it skittering over the floor.

"Calm down Harry, I've sent Tipsy to the manor with my fang. She's going to tell Narcissa what needs to be done," Hermione explained.

"Narcissa is going to kill the snake?" Harry asked sceptically. "Really?"

"She can do it," Draco reassured Harry. "My mother is far tougher than she looks. Besides, after everything we've been through, I think she'll be more than ready to help deliver some payback."

"I hope you're right Malfoy," Harry said with a sigh. "Because if she doesn't kill that snake, we'll never kill Voldemort and Ron will have died in vain as we'll all be slaughtered."

"That will not happen," Hermione insisted as she wrapped her arm around Harry. "We're going to be victorious today, I know we are. We have to keep the faith. Ron wouldn't want us to lose hope."

"No, he wouldn't," Harry agreed, tears pooling in his eyes as he turned back to look at his fallen friend once again.

It wasn't going to be easy, but he was going to remain positive. He was going to believe that Narcissa could deal with Nagini, and then he was going to take down Voldemort and save the wizarding world from his evil designs.

* * *

 **::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::**

* * *

Left all alone at Malfoy Manor, not counting the evil snake that was slithering around the place, Narcissa felt sick to her stomach. She'd spent months worrying about her son and granddaughter, but she'd never been as nervous as she currently was. She knew Voldemort was planning on the battle being the final one, and she knew he had every faith he would douse the light once and for all, but Narcissa was praying that his pride would get the better of him and he would fail. She knew she couldn't live under the dark's rule, and she suspected that if Voldemort was triumphant that both she and Draco would soon become expendable.

Unable to focus on anything, Narcissa settled herself in Draco's room. She was aware that Nagini kept slithering up and down the hallway outside, but thankfully the horrid creature stayed out of her son's room. Being in Draco's room help Narcissa feel close to her son and she was sitting with one of his old stuffed dragons, which he'd kept in a box under the bed, in her hands when she heard a small popping noise from the bathroom. Instantly alert, Narcissa glanced at the doorway and saw no sign of Nagini, which she hoped meant that the snake hadn't heard the noise.

Dropping the stuffed dragon onto Draco's bed, Narcissa hurried into the bathroom and locked the door behind her. As she'd hoped, Tipsy was waiting in the bathroom and the small elf hugged Narcissa tightly when she saw her. Narcissa hugged the tiny elf back, before quietly asking about her granddaughter.

"Little Miss Lyra is sleeping," Tipsy explained.

Narcissa breathed a sigh of relief at the news her granddaughter wasn't dead, and she knew it was more vital than ever for Voldemort to be killed. Until he was gone her granddaughter wouldn't wake up, and even though she didn't know the exact spells Dumbledore had used on her, she didn't think it would be good for Lyra to be unconscious for too long.

"Miss Hermione sent me," Tipsy whispered. "They need you to kill the bad snake. The evil wizard cannot be killed until his snake is dead."

"They want me to kill Nagini?" Narcissa frowned. "How?"

"With this," Tipsy said, pulling out the basilisk fang Hermione had given her and handing it to Narcissa. "Please Mistress Narcissa, you need to do it. Kill the snake so Harry Potter can kill the evil wizard."

"This will kill the snake?" Narcissa checked, looking warily at the fang in her hand.

"Yes, and then I can take you to Little Miss Lyra," Tipsy said.

Narcissa welled up at the thought of seeing her granddaughter. Knowing that Hermione wouldn't have asked her to kill Nagini unless it was vital to the effort to defeat Voldemort, Narcissa took a couple of deep breaths to compose herself. Ordering Tipsy to stay in the bathroom and to stay out of sight if anyone should enter, Narcissa tucked the fang into her dress and walked out of the bathroom with her head held high.

For the first time since Narcissa had settled herself in the room, Nagini had entered her son's room. Narcissa found the snake watching the bathroom door with beady eyes and it hissed at Narcissa as she re-entered the bedroom and shut the door behind her.

"Get out," she snapped at the snake, not even knowing if it understood or not. "Get out of my son's room."

Nagini hissed again before slowly turning her long body and slithering towards the doorway. With the snake heading away from her, Narcissa pulled the fang out of her dress and prepared to pounce. With her head full of thoughts of Draco, Lyra, Hermione and even poor Tonks, Narcissa lunged at the snake with a blood curdling scream.

The element of surprise was on her side and she managed to plunge the fang into the middle of Nagini's body. Nagini hissed in agony and swivelled her head to try and bite Narcissa, but Narcissa wasn't close enough for her to sink her fangs in. Plunging the fang deeper into the snake, and making sure to keep out of Nagini's venomous reach, Narcissa began to wiggle it from side to side as she enlarged the wound. Nagini continued to hiss in pain and tried to wiggle away, but Narcissa wasn't giving up and she kept working on the wound until Nagini was nearly ripped in two. The larger the wound got the more the fight went out of Nagini, and by the time Narcissa separated the snake in two, Nagini was still.

Breathing heavily, Narcissa moved away from the snake once it was in two parts. However, she wasn't taking any chances that the snake wasn't dead. Repulsive as it was, she picked up the back end of the snake and carried it towards the fire in the corner of the room. Lighting the fire, she threw the half snake onto the fire and watched it burn. She then went back to the other half, and making sure to keep her hands well away from Nagini's open mouth and sharp fangs, she then threw the rest of the snake onto the fire as well.

"Burn in hell," Narcissa whispered as she watched the snake pieces shrivel in the flames.

Once she was sure the snake was gone for good, Narcissa turned back to where she'd torn the snake in half. The carpet was covered in blood and would have to be replaced, but Narcissa wasn't too concerned. She was sure that Draco would rather have a bloody carpet, then have Nagini still slithering around alive and well.

"Tipsy," Narcissa called. "I'm done," she announced when the elf timidly poked her head around the door. "Take me to Lyra."

Tipsy smiled widely as she wrapped her arms around Narcissa and using everything she had, she began to break through the strong wards of the manor. Apparition wasn't instantaneous, but Tipsy's will and magic was strong, and knowing that Narcissa would be killed if she didn't get her out of the manor, the little elf persevered and finally the wards shattered under her onslaught and she spirited Narcissa away to Grimmauld Place, where the doting grandmother rushed straight to her precious granddaughter's side. Now Narcissa was with Lyra, nothing was going to tear her away from her granddaughter again. She would be at Lyra's side until word reached them from the final battle. All she could do now was pray it was good news and that her family's torment was coming to an end.


	37. Chapter 37

Voldemort was thoroughly enjoying himself as his Death Eaters clashed with the Order and their supporters. So far, he was managing to keep out of the fighting, but all that would change soon enough. However, for the time being he was happy for his closest followers to keep the enemy away from him, while he surveyed the battle and decided on the best way to get to Harry.

Rather surprisingly, Harry had positioned himself right at the back of the opposing forces, which meant that Voldemort had to work his way through to the boy. Not that Voldemort was overly concerned as he had every faith he and his forces would end up victorious. Harry couldn't hide forever, and when Voldemort got his hands on him he was planning on making sure the young wizard who had plagued him for years would no longer be an issue.

Although Harry wasn't the only person Voldemort was interested in. Obviously he wanted Dumbledore taking out, and at the moment Lucius was busy battling with the old headmaster. Despite the fact he wouldn't have minded taking out Dumbledore himself, Voldemort had already given Lucius permission to kill the old man if the opportunity arouse.

Another person on Voldemort's hit list was Severus Snape. Voldemort knew Severus had turned up to help deal with the attack on the Hogwarts Express, and he hadn't been bothered when he'd returned to Hogwarts with the other Professors, but he'd fully expected Snape to join his fellow Death Eaters once the final battle for underway. Instead he'd shown his true colours and was fighting alongside the Order. It had already reached Voldemort's ears that Snape was more than happy to take out Death Eaters, so Voldemort was spreading the word that the Potions master was fair game to be killed along with the rest of their enemies.

The only other person Voldemort was interested in was Draco. Unsurprisingly, he'd vanished from sight almost as soon as the fighting began. No doubt he'd ran off to his mudblood, but Voldemort knew he wouldn't risk leaving the grounds of Hogwarts so for the time being he was content to leave Draco as he was. However, he did have plans to capture Draco's mudblood and kill her in front of the blond wizard. Draco would then return home with Lucius and finally do his family proud and give the Malfoys a son and heir they could be proud of. What happened to him after that would be down to Lucius, as Voldemort had already decided that Draco wasn't the wizard he'd hoped and he knew that even killing his daughter and lover wasn't going to bring him into line. He and his mother were of no further use to him, and Voldemort was happy to hand them over to Lucius to do with as he wished once he was victorious and he'd made Draco suffer as much as he possible could.

Smirking at the thought of causing Draco even more suffering, Voldemort surveyed the battles going on nearest to him. Lucius and Dumbledore were still going at it hammer and tongs, and he couldn't help but chuckle to see Bellatrix fighting both McGonagall and one of the older Weasley boys simultaneously. From where he was standing, Bellatrix looked to be on top and Voldemort would bet that before long one of her opposition would be dead, quickly followed by the other one.

However, before Voldemort could watch a victory for his favourite female Death Eater a searing pain tore through his body. With an anguished cry, he fell to his knees, clutching at his chest as it felt as though his heart was going to tear right out of his body. In a sea of pain, Voldemort was unaware that his fall had caught both Lucius and Bellatrix's attention until he heard Bellatrix screaming his name. Raising his head, he saw Bellatrix turn towards him, abandoning her twin duels.

"Bella," he croaked weakly, trying to warn her of the danger as he saw both McGonagall and the Weasley boy pointing their wands at her back.

"Avada Kedavra!" came the twin cries, and Voldemort howled with rage and pain as Bellatrix fell to the floor, a stunned expression etched on her face as she was hit by two killing curses.

Forgetting about his own pain, Voldemort dragged himself over to Bellatrix. Raising his own wand he used all his energy to blast both McGonagall and the Weasley boy off their feet. He then cradled Bellatrix's body in his arms as he confirmed she was really dead. Picking up her discarded wand, he sent a silent message for his Death Eaters to retreat into the woods, before disappearing with Bellatrix's body.

Lucius was the first of his supporters to arrive in the woods, and he knelt down beside Voldemort and his sister-in-law, checking on the condition of them both. He'd seen Bellatrix struck down, so it was no big surprise that she was dead, but he had no idea what was wrong with Voldemort.

"My Lord?" he cautiously questioned, aware that other Death Eaters were arriving and gathering around them.

"She's gone," Voldemort hissed.

"I saw," Lucius said sympathetically.

"Not Bella, Nagini," Voldemort said, raising his head to look at Lucius with angry eyes. "I felt her depart. You need to get back the manor and find out what happened, Lucius. Whatever your wife has done, she's going to pay for it."

"Yes, My Lord," Lucius replied with an obedient nod of his head as he got to his feet and appeared back home with a sharp crack.

"This isn't over," Voldemort announced, rising to his feet and addressing his puzzled followers. "This is merely a break in the hostilities. We will also use this opportunity to retrieve our fallen comrades. Be ready to move again on my command."

Turning his back on his Death Eaters, Voldemort sank back down beside Bellatrix and pondered his next move. He was now vulnerable and for the first time in decades he could be killed. However, he still had his confidence and all his years of experience behind him and he was sure he could take Harry. After all, how could a seventeen year old wizard possibly hope to kill the darkest wizard the world had ever known?

As he waited for Lucius to return, Voldemort slipped Bellatrix's wand into his robes. If he was going to fight Harry, he would need to do so with a wand that wasn't his own. Last time he'd fought Harry with his own wand, their cores had reacted and the boy had gotten away from a certain death. However, there was no getting away this time. This time one of them would die, and Voldemort was not going to let it be him.

Eager to get on with things, Voldemort was pleased when Lucius returned. However, he wasn't so pleased when Lucius informed him that Narcissa was no longer at the manor. How she could leave, Voldemort wasn't sure, but somehow she'd managed to escape, and he was furious. She would pay for disobeying him, and by the time he was finished with her, Narcissa Malfoy would rue the day she ever crossed him.

"And Nagini?" Voldemort asked, even though he knew his snake was gone.

"There's a pile of blood of Draco's bedroom floor and signs of a recent fire," Lucius replied. "I poked around in the ashes and found a few small bits of snake skin. It looks like your snake was killed and then burnt."

"Bitch," Voldemort hissed. "I'm sorry Lucius, but by this time tomorrow you will no longer have a wife. Narcissa is a dead woman."

"I understand, My Lord," Lucius said, only feeling a small pang of regret as he recalled the witch Narcissa used to be. He would miss the obedient witch he'd first married, but he certainly wouldn't miss the troublesome woman his wife had become over the last year or so.

Leaving Lucius to contemplate losing his wife, Voldemort cast a spell to make his voice carry before walking towards the edge of the forest.

"It's time for us to face one another, Harry Potter," he called, knowing that he was audible in the castle. "You have half an hour to sort your dead and injured and leave the bodies of my supporters in the courtyard. We will collect our fallen friends, in forty minutes and there will be no fighting. In one hour I will appear in the courtyard and we shall face each other, Harry. It's time to end this."

Satisfied his message had been delivered, Voldemort returned to his Death Eaters and started to prepare for the final showdown with Harry Potter. He knew this was the end and one way or another there was going to be a victor in little over an hour's time. Soon everyone would know who had won the war and who would have control over Wizarding Britain.

* * *

 **::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::**

* * *

The Death Eaters abrupt departure from Hogwarts and its grounds took the Order by surprise, but they quickly took advantage of the break in hostilities to get people to safety in The Great Hall. For many people it was a chance to digest what had happened so far, and for the Weasleys it was chance to find out that they'd lost one of their own. Apart from Molly, no-one else had known of Ron's loss as they were all out fighting, but one by one they appeared in The Great Hall and were given the news that their precious brother was no more.

Just before the Death Eaters had departed, Tipsy had arrived back with the news Nagini was gone, so Harry had a fair idea why the dark had retreated. Quickly news spread around the Order that the time was at hand, and Voldemort was now ready to be defeated. He could now be killed, and all eyes were on Harry as he prepared to face the fight of his life.

"But what if he's fled for good?" Sirius questioned.

With the Weasleys huddled together saying their goodbyes to Ron, none of them were present as Harry, Dumbledore, Hermione, Draco, Blaise, Theo, Sirius and Remus discussed the next step.

"He won't have," Harry replied confidently. "He won't leave here until he's killed me, or at least tried and failed."

"And he wouldn't leave me behind," Draco said. His friends had told him what Pansy and Daphne had been saying, and he'd stuck to Hermione like glue ever since as there was no way he was letting anyone from the dark get their hands on her.

"No, this is just a strategic retreat," Dumbledore said.

No sooner had Dumbledore finished talking then a loud rumbling filled the air and Voldemort's voice boomed through The Great Hall. As expected he was calling for Harry to face him, and everyone knew looking at the determination on Harry's face that he would be meeting Voldemort as requested.

"Should we do as they want and give them their dead?" Sirius asked. He knew that the amount of dead Death Eaters outnumbered the amount of fatalities on the light, and he'd been thrilled when McGonagall had earlier announced that she and Charlie Weasley had killed Bellatrix.

"Yes," Dumbledore said with a nod of his head. "But no prisoners or wounded Death Eaters are to be returned. Sirius, Remus, spread the word and start helping move the dead into the courtyard."

Among the dead was Daphne Greengrass and despite what a wicked little cow she'd turned out to be, Draco, Theo and Blaise were all sad to see her body moved past them to be delivered to the courtyard. She was still so young, and it hurt to see someone they'd grown up with have their life cut so short. However, despite their sadness, none of them were really mourning her as they all knew there were greater losses that day than Daphne.

"Are you ready to face him?" Hermione asked Harry as she gave her best friend a reassuring hug.

"I have to be," Harry replied, trying to sound confident. However, he wasn't able to totally hide the tremor in his voice from his best friend.

"We all believe in you, Harry," Hermione said. "You can do this."

"I can," Harry said with a determined nod as he began to psyche himself up to face Voldemort one last time.

An hour had never passed so slowly, and once the Death Eaters had gathered their dead, the Order began to gather in the courtyard. Harry may have been the one about to face Voldemort, but every single person who was able wanted to be there to support him. Standing right at the front of the group were all the people closest to Harry. Dumbledore stood right in the centre with McGonagall on one side and Snape on the other. Molly was standing beside Dumbledore, with the other Weasleys all beside her. Neville, Dean and Seamus were beside the Weasleys and over the other side of the line next to Snape stood Draco, Hermione, Blaise and Theo. And then finally on the end of the front row Sirius and Remus stood side by side watching Harry with pride.

"Good luck, Harry," Ginny called encouragingly as he moved slightly ahead of the group waiting for Voldemort to appear.

Ginny's cry was echoed around the group and the air was soon filled with people wishing Harry good luck. Hoping their faith wasn't misplaced, Harry turned around to see a sea of black emerge from the forbidden forest. Biting down his nerves, he stood still as a statue as the group of Death Eaters approached the courtyard. Like the Order, they gathered on the opposite side of the courtyard and finally they parted to let Voldemort walk through to face Harry.

"We meet at last," Voldemort said loudly, happy to play up for the assembled crowds.

"Let's finish this, Tom," Harry replied, knowing how the use of Voldemort's real name would annoy him.

"Let's," Voldemort agreed with a snarl.

At virtually the exact same time, Harry and Voldemort leapt into action and began to throw curses and hexes at each other. Very quickly it became clear that Voldemort wasn't using his own wand as his and Harry's wand didn't make any sort of connection, which might have given Harry the edge. However, if Harry was disappointed he didn't show it as he battered away at The Dark Lord's defences, while keeping himself out of harm's way.

Despite Voldemort being older and much more experienced, both in general magic and in the Dark Arts, Harry was more than a match for him. Harry's youth enabled him to constantly keep moving and not give Voldemort a target to hit, and while Voldemort focused on trying to hit Harry with curses that would hurt him, Harry was prepared to throw any spell that entered his head at the dark wizard. The result was that Harry soon had Voldemort rattled, and it became clear that Voldemort was becoming increasingly frustrated that Harry wasn't proving easy to kill. It looked like he'd entered the battle expecting an easy fight, and when the fight he was in was anything but easy, he seemed unsure of himself.

On both sides of the courtyard, there was silence, but on both sides there was the thought that Harry was going to win. For the Order and their supporters it was a euphoric thought, but for the Death Eaters it was a fate worse than death. In fact by the time Harry and Voldemort had been trading blows for fifteen minutes the only two people who hadn't thought about Harry emerging victories was the two wizards battling to the death as they were too concerned with the battle at hand to even think about who was going to emerge triumphant.

As the crowds began to seriously believe in Harry, he was constantly getting the upper hand on Voldemort. Only Voldemort's experience and will power kept him in the fight, and every time it looked as though Harry was getting on top of him, he would rally. But then fate stepped in, and while hurling a tickling hex at Voldemort, Harry stumbled on a rogue piece of brick.

A collective gasp rose from the Order as Harry stumbled and only his excellent reflexes kept him on his feet. However, Harry wasn't invincible and the stumble caused him to lower his guard and give Voldemort an opportunity. Never one to miss and advantage, Voldemort blasted Harry in the ribs with a nasty slicing curse which tore into his sweater and through to his skin and as Harry wobbled on his feet, he advanced with a terrifying smirk on his lips.

"Avada Kedavra!" Voldemort curried triumphantly, sending a jet of green light Harry's way.

"No!" Hermione cried in disbelief as the jet of light hit Harry squarely in the chest and sent him sprawling to the floor.

Collapsing to her knees, Hermione wailed in pain at the sight of her best friend lying dead in the courtyard. She'd now lost both of her best friends, and it looked like she was going to lose a lot more as it looked as though Voldemort and his Death Eaters had won the war.


	38. Chapter 38

Harry blinked slowly as the bright, white light blinded him. One minute he'd been at Hogwarts, facing off against Voldemort, and the next second he was standing in the middle of a bright, white light with no clue as to where he was or how he had gotten there. Gingerly cracking open his eyes, Harry breathed a sigh of relief as the light began to fade and his surroundings came into focus. Only rather confusingly he seemed to be standing on a deserted train platform with a train that looked similar to the Hogwarts Express, but wasn't bright red, standing on the tracks.

"Hello, mate," a familiar voice called from behind him.

Harry whirled around at the voice and gasped as he came face to face with Ron. His best friend looked as though nothing had happened to him, and Harry began to get a sinking feeling about where he was.

"Ron," Harry whispered, reaching out and touching Ron to prove he was really standing in front of him.

"It's me," Ron said with a smile.

"Am I dead?" Harry asked.

"Not quite," Ron answered.

"Then where am I?" Harry asked, looking around for some clues and finding nothing that could help. It seemed as though it was just him, Ron and a train.

"That's hard to explain," Ron admitted. "To put it as simply as I can, you're currently between realms. You're not quite dead, but nor or you really alive."

"I'm confused," Harry muttered. "Did this happen to you?"

"No, I'm dead and there's no coming back for me," Ron said. "You're a unique case, Harry."

"Why? Because I'm 'The Boy Who Lived'?" Harry questioned.

"Sort of," Ron replied with a chuckle. "When Voldemort tried to kill you as a baby, he created a Horcrux he knew nothing about. That Horcrux was you, Harry. When Voldemort killed you, he destroyed the final piece of his soul."

"But now I'm dead, will anyone else be able to kill him?" Harry asked worriedly as he thought of everyone else left behind.

"No Harry, you're the only one who can kill him," Ron answered quietly.

"But I can't, I'm dead," Harry cried.

"As I said, you're not quite dead," Ron corrected. "This choice of what happens next is yours. You can come with me and be reunited with everyone you've lost, or you can stay here and go back and finish what you started."

"When you say I'll be reunited with everyone I've lost, does that mean you and my parents?" Harry asked, his breath quacking at the thought of being reunited with the parents he'd never really known.

"Yes, your Mum and Dad are waiting for you," Ron said, giving Harry a smile.

Harry briefly closed his eyes as he imagined what it would be like to be reunited with his parents. It was all he'd wanted for so long and the thought of just seeing them again made him want to snap up Ron's offer of joining him in the next life. However, there was also a part of him that was still rooted in the real world, and even with Ron and his parents gone, there was still people he loved in the real world.

"If I go back, will I definitely defeat Voldemort?" Harry asked.

"There are no guarantee's in life, Harry," Ron said with a shake of his head. "You could go back and triumph, or you could go back and get killed again. Only next time you won't have the protection of Voldemort's Horcrux. Next time you're killed, it'll be for real and there'll be no going back."

"What happens if I don't go back?" Harry questioned. "What happens to the rest of your family? To Hermione and Lyra? And everyone else? Will they survive?"

"I don't know what will happen," Ron said with a shrug of his shoulders. "No-one can predict the future."

"But I'm there best chance," Harry whispered. "They need me."

"It's your choice, Harry," Ron said, walking past him and hopping onto the waiting train. "But I have to go now."

"Wait, you can't leave yet," Harry cried. "I need to know something. Are you happy?"

"I'm at peace, we all are," Ron replied with a serene smile. "Come with me and see for yourself. You can finally be with your Mum and Dad."

"I want that more than anything, but I can't leave yet," Harry said as tears welled up in his eyes at the thought of saying goodbye to Ron again. "I have to go back and try again. I have to save the people I love. I'm just sorry I couldn't save you, Ron."

"Don't be, it was my time to go," Ron said. "If you're not coming with me, tell my family I love them. And tell Hermione the same. I don't regret saving Malfoy, tell them that. Tell them all I want is for them to be happy with Lyra."

"Things are never going to be the same without you, Ron," Harry whispered, his tears starting to fall as the train ever so slowly began to move. "I love you."

"I love you too, mate. But it's not too late, you can still come with me," Ron said, holding his hand out for Harry to grab onto.

"No, I can't," Harry said sadly. "Bye Ron."

"Bye Harry," Ron whispered as he and the train slowly pulled out of Harry's sight.

As his best friend disappeared, tears blurred Harry's vision as the bright, white light returned. Closing his eyes to the light, Harry felt his surroundings shift and when a light breeze ruffled his hair he realised he was lying on the ground, his body aching. Still coming back to his senses, Harry slowly and carefully moved his hand and wrapped his fingers around his wand that was lying beside him. He was back, and it was time to end Voldemort once and for all.

* * *

 **::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::**

* * *

Harry's death had shaken everyone present and Hermione wasn't the only one who collapsed in tears as his body hit the floor. Ginny and Molly threw their arms around each other, while Sirius had to be kept on his feet by Remus supporting him. The other Weasleys, Neville, Dean, Seamus and McGonagall were all openly crying and even Blaise and Theo had tears in their eyes. Even Snape was affected by Harry's death and looked devastated by his loss.

Dumbledore was also clearly devastated by losing Harry, but he quickly took on the mantle of being the one to bring Voldemort down. While Voldemort's Death Eaters were whooping in glee and celebrating their victory, Dumbledore surged forward to take Harry's place in the battle. Unfortunately, Voldemort was waiting for him and he blasted the old man off his feet before erecting an invisible barrier between the two sides.

"Now, now Dumbledore, at least let's mourn your fallen hero," Voldemort scoffed as Snape and McGonagall helped the headmaster back to his feet.

"You care nothing for our mourning," Dumbledore spat. "Let's just get this over with."

"Get what over with?" Voldemort cackled. "I've won old man. Your saviour is dead, and no-one can defeat me."

"Our cause doesn't end with Harry," McGonagall shouted. "We're all here to stand against you, and his death doesn't change that."

"You haven't won yet," Remus added. "Before you can claim victory you have to kill us all."

"And that my furry friend, is exactly what I plan on doing," Voldemort cackled. "But before that, I'm giving everyone one final chance. Come over to my side and escape death. Anyone standing against me in five minutes, is a dead witch or wizard."

There was a silence in the courtyard as Voldemort's offer was digested by the Order. However, no-one made any move to join Voldemort. They would all rather fight and die, than betray their friends and switch sides at the last moment.

"No takers?" Voldemort questioned with a mock pout. "How about you, Draco? After all, you can't escape me."

"Do what you will to me, but I won't stand by your side ever again," Draco spat. He was currently kneeling on the floor beside a devastated Hermione, and no matter what happened, he wasn't going to leave her side unless someone killed him.

"Harry," Hermione whispered in Draco's ear as Voldemort turned his attention to Snape.

"I'm sorry sweetheart, he's gone," Draco said, squeezing Hermione tightly.

"No, he's moving," Hermione whispered, subtly inclining her head in Harry's direction.

Draco didn't turn his head, but he did let his eyes drift over to where Harry lay and he had to bite his lip from gasping out loud as he spotted Harry's fingers close around his wand. As he watched, Harry pulled his wand closer to him, and even though he remained still on the floor, there was an energy crackling about him and Draco suspected he was ready to pounce at any minute.

"Get up," Draco urged his girlfriend as he tore his eyes away from Harry. "And be ready for anything," he whispered in her ear.

"Changing your mind, Draco?" Voldemort sneered as he caught sight of the two teenagers rising to their feet.

"Never," Hermione spat in response, her fight returning now she knew Harry wasn't dead. "He was never loyal to you, he was merely doing what he could to save our daughter."

"Fat lot of good that did him, your precious little daughter is as dead as Potter," Voldemort laughed.

"Care to think again, Tom?" Harry called as he swiftly jumped to his feet.

Cries of shock echoed around the courtyard, and poor Molly was so taken aback by events that she fainted into Bill and Charlie's arms. While the Death Eaters were stunned into silence, the Order and their supporters were whooping and cheering. As for Voldemort himself, he was so taken aback by the sight of Harry Potter alive and well that all he could do was stare at his enemy with an open mouth.

Knowing that Voldemort would soon recover, and knowing that a second death wouldn't be reversible, Harry leapt into action. Running towards Voldemort he let out a loud battle cry as he summoned every bit of courage he possessed. When the time was right, and he knew he could deliver the spell with the full intention it needed, he screamed out the words he'd never thought he'd ever hear himself utter.

"Avada Kedavra!"

The bright jot of green light shot from the tip of Harry's wand and hit Voldemort squarely in the chest. Voldemort looked stunned by the spell and as if he was in slow motion he slowly toppled to the floor. The second his body hit the cold ground it broke into dust and every single person in the courtyard with a dark mark burned into their skin fell to their knees in agony.

"Draco!" Hermione cried, wrapping her arms around her boyfriend. "What's happening to him?" she asked Dumbledore was who looking between Draco, Snape and the other Death Eaters.

"My mark," Draco gasped, holding out his arm. "It's burning."

Hermione rolled up Draco's sleeve and saw that his ugly Dark Mark was burning jet black and almost seemed to be bursting out of his skin. As she watched the Dark Mark separated itself from Draco's skin and swirling in front of him for a moment, it then disappeared in a puff of ink. Looking back down at Draco's arm, Hermione could see it was red, but there was no sign of the Dark Mark that had previously marred his pale skin.

"I think that is proof, as if we needed it, that Voldemort is gone for good this time," Dumbledore said with a wide grin. "Without him being alive, all his magic is dying."

"Lyra," Draco gasped.

"Does that mean she's awake?" Hermione questioned.

"No, we'll have to wake her ourselves, but she's out of danger," Dumbledore reassured the couple. "But for now, let's focus on securing the Death Eaters."

"Why are they still here?" Hermione asked, looking up and finding that most of the Death Eater were still huddled on the floor in obvious pain.

"Not all of us have lost our marks yet," Snape hissed through clenched teeth. His Dark Mark was now bulging out of his arm, but it had yet to disentangle itself as Draco's had done.

"Interesting, it seems the longer the magic has been in place, the longer it takes to die," Dumbledore mused.

"Which means we should get on with securing the Death Eaters," Harry called from where he was being embraced by Sirius.

Despite everyone wanting to know what had happened with Harry, they all knew the danger wasn't yet over and they set out to secure the Death Eaters that were still around. However, once the Death Eaters realised what was going on many of them tried to flee, despite the pain they were feeling as their Dark Mark's disappeared. That of course resulted in more fighting, but the Order were clearly in charge and they were quickly getting the better of the Death Eaters.

One of those that chose to run was Lucius. Once he realised what was happening and his mark was vanishing, he knew he had to escape. Even without the mark, he was a known Death Eater and he knew that if he was captured, he would end up dead, or worse in Azkaban for the rest of his life. Unfortunately for Lucius, Severus spotted him trying to run and despite his own pain, he set off in pursuit of the blond wizard.

"You're not getting away that easily, Lucius," Snape growled as he closed the gap between himself and Lucius. Lucius was almost out of the school grounds and Severus knew that once he was free of the grounds he could apparate away and then he might never be caught again. "Stupefy!"

Mere inches from escape, Lucius went tumbling to the floor as Snape's spell hit him squarely in the back. Before he had a chance to even try and remove the spell, Snape was on top of him and had pulled his wand out of his hands. Snape then restrained him securely before releasing the spell that was keeping Lucius stunned.

"Go on then, get on with it," Lucius sneered as Snape spun him around so they were facing each other. "Kill me."

"Killing you would be merciful," Snape spat. "I am going to make sure you suffer for everything you've put Draco, Narcissa and Hermione through. You're going to stay alive Lucius, and you're going to sit rotting in Azkaban knowing that you failed."

"Ah, but I didn't," Lucius crowed. "That awful half-breed brat of Draco's is gone. Sure the mudblood might be standing by him now, but she'll walk away once the dust is settled. She'll never be able to forgive Draco for being responsible for her daughter's death. I've ruined everything for Draco."

"Bastard," Snape growled as he pulled back his fist and slammed it straight into Lucius's face.

The impact knocked Lucius out, so Snape hauled him back towards the castle using magic. He then left him with the other captured Death Eaters and took a moment to digest everything that had happened. Despite the odds, the light had won. Harry had returned from the dead to kill Voldemort, and now the wizarding world was safe to rebuild and start again.


	39. Chapter 39

Once the shock of winning the final battle wore off for Hermione and Draco, all they wanted to do was be reunited with their daughter. However, just because the battle had been won didn't mean it was right to just leave Hogwarts. The majority of the Death Eaters had been caught and were gathered in classrooms under protective custody of several volunteers, but there had been some escapees. Then there were still people recieving treatment for injuries, as well as bodies turning up all over the school.

"I understand you're eager to get Lyra back, but right now there's nothing I can do," Dumbledore said to the couple when they approached him about leaving. "Your daughter is safe, and right now my priorities are here. Not only that but we're going to need everyone involved in the protection spells to wake your daughter, and as of this minute I don't know where they all are."

"We understand that, and we would never expect you to abandon your duties here," Hermione said. "But we need to go back to be with Lyra."

"Providing my office is still standing, you can use the floo in there," Dumbledore said. "When we can, we'll be back to wake Lyra."

"Thank you Sir," Draco said solemnly. "Thank you for everything."

"I only wish I could have stopped a lot of what happened," Dumbledore said with a sigh. "I suppose the important thing is that Voldemort's finally gone. I'm sure we can all cope with whatever happens next."

Leaving Dumbledore to get back to his task of sorting out the mess the final battle had left Hogwarts in, Hermione and Draco looked around for their friends. Neither of them wanted to leave without telling the people closest to them where they were going. Harry was the first one they spotted, as he helped settle a few injured people down in chairs.

"I can't believe you're still here," Hermione said as she embraced her friend. She was dying to hear how Harry had survived a second killing curse, but more than that she needed to get back to Lyra.

"It was touch and go," Harry admitted with a slight smile. "I'll tell you all about it, I promise. Just not right now."

"No, not right now," Hermione agreed. "Draco and I are heading back to be with Lyra. Dumbledore said he'd gather the others and bring them back when he can."

"I'll be with them, but for now I really should stay here," Harry said. He wanted to be with Hermione to support her, but at the same time he knew that he was still needed at Hogwarts.

"You stay here," Hermione said, understanding why her best friend couldn't accompany her back to Grimmauld Place. "And Harry, thank you for today. None of us would be standing here if it wasn't for you."

"You're a true hero, Potter," Draco offered.

"I was only doing what anyone would do," Harry replied with a modest shrug of his shoulders. "Now you two go and be with your daughter, and tell Lyra that Uncle Harry will be right with her."

"I will," Hermione promised, giving her best friend a tight hug before letting him return to his aiding the wounded.

They also found Blaise and Theo helping to tend to the injured. Like Harry they wanted to accompany Hermione and Draco back to Grimmauld Place, but they felt that they were needed at Hogwarts. Theo especially wanted to stay as he was hoping to talk to Dumbledore and see if the headmaster would put in a good word for his father. Despite being a Death Eater, he'd wanted no part of the second war and he'd been instrumental in helping Theo and Blaise avoid a fate similar to Draco's.

"We'll do everything we can to help your father, Theo," Hermione assured their friend. She knew that sooner or later Draco himself would be taken away to be questioned, but she wasn't ready to dwell on that thought just yet.

"Thanks Hermione, and we'll be with you as soon as we can," Theo said. "We're going to be right at your side when Lyra wakes up."

Appreciating the support they were getting from everyone, Hermione and Draco finally left The Great Hall and made their way to Dumbledore's office. When they reached the stone gargoyle that usually guarded the stairway to the office they found it had been knocked over in the battle. Fortunately the hidden staircase was half visible with the toppled gargoyle lying at the foot of the stairs.

"If we squeeze, we should be able to get through," Draco said, examining the small gap that led to the staircase.

"Let's hope the top isn't blocked," Hermione remarked as she squeezed through the small gap and was followed by Draco.

Luckily the top of the staircase wasn't blocked, even though it was another tight squeeze to get into Dumbledore's office as the stairs had been stopped in the middle of rotating. Fortunately neither Draco nor Hermione were that large so they managed to scramble into Dumbledore's office. Even though the office was a bit of a mess, Hermione didn't think there'd been any actual fighting taking place in the room. It looked to her that the mess and minimal damage was caused by events that had taken place in other parts of the castle and the headmaster's office had just been caught in the crossfire on a few occasions.

With no fighting having taken place in the office, the floo network was still in perfect working order and activating the connection, Hermione gave the address of headquarters to Draco. She was then the first to floo to Grimmauld Place, arriving in the deserted front room, closely followed by Draco.

Hermione had heard feet upstairs the second she'd arrived and the distinctive sound of the floo bellowed around the house, and by the time Draco stepped out of the fire, she could hear people running down the stairs. George was the first to burst into the room, and the smile that lit up his face when he saw Hermione and Draco was wider than Hermione had ever seen before.

"Good news?" he asked as behind him Narcissa entered the room and with a rather unladylike squeal, launched herself at Draco.

"Harry's killed Voldemort," Hermione announced as Madam Pomfrey put in an appearance.

"Are you okay?" Narcissa asked her son, checking him out for any signs of damage. He looked a bit battered and bruised, but there didn't look to be any serious injuries.

"I'm fine," Draco said as his mother let him go and embraced Hermione, informing his girlfriend how worried she'd been and how much she'd missed her.

"I've missed you too, Narcissa," Hermione said with a gentle smile.

"At least now it's all over," Narcissa said with a relived sigh. "It is all over, isn't it?" she checked, suddenly worrying about Lucius and what would happen if he hadn't been killed or caught.

"It's all over," Draco reassured his mother. "Voldemort's gone, Father has been captured and Dumbledore will be here when he can to wake Lyra."

"Are there many casualties?" Madam Pomfrey asked. "Should I go and help?"

"I'm sure Dumbledore would appreciate that," Hermione said, giving the medi-witch a smile before turning to George, knowing that he needed to be told about Ron.

"No," George whispered as Hermione's face turned sombre as she faced him. "Please say we didn't lose someone else."

"I'm sorry George, but Ron didn't make it," Hermione said, feeling the emotion of her best friend's death bubble up again as she informed his brother of his loss.

"What happened?" George asked as he began to cry at the thought of never seeing his little brother again.

"He saved my life," Draco said softly. "He was a hero."

"He really was," Hermione said, squeezing George's arm. "You would have been so proud of him, George."

"I should go and be with my family," George said as he swiped at his tears to get rid of them.

Hermione gave George a hug before he headed off to Hogwarts with Madam Pomfrey. With George and Madam Pomfrey off doing what they could to help, Hermione and Draco turned their attention back to their daughter. Once Narcissa had assured them that Lyra had been fine since she arrived, they headed upstairs to where Lyra was lying in her crib. Narcissa had chosen to remain downstairs to give the couple some privacy and to wait for further news from Hogwarts.

"My little angel," Draco sobbed, collapsing to the floor beside Lyra's crib and reaching his hand through the bars to stroke the head of his unmoving daughter.

"We'll have her back soon," Hermione whispered, joining Draco on the floor beside their daughter's crib.

"I'm so sorry princess," Draco whispered to his daughter.

"Don't," Hermione ordered sternly. "Don't blame yourself, Draco. You did everything you could to protect our daughter."

"Yet she still ended up like this," Draco whispered, unable to tear his eyes off Lyra. In every memory he had of his daughter she was vibrant and full of life and it felt so wrong seeing her lying unmoving in her bed.

"She ended up safe and protected," Hermione said. "Don't get me wrong, it breaks my heart to see her like this, but at least she's alive. And by the end of the night, she'll be awake and back in our arms."

"How long will she be in my arms for though?" Draco asked with a sigh as he turned his head to face Hermione. "We both know I'm going to be dragged into the Ministry at some point. I was technically a Death Eater and I was forced to do some pretty nasty stuff."

"When Voldemort first took Lyra and forced you to serve him, I got Dumbledore to sign a document basically pardoning you," Hermione said. "It might not have much legal weight, but Dumbledore also promised to stand up for you. I'm sure Harry and countless others will do the same as well. You were forced to do what you did, Draco, and the Ministry will see that. You're a victim in this war, just like the rest of us."

"Forced or not I still took part in some pretty despicable things," Draco whispered. "I was there when your parents were killed."

"I know," Hermione replied softly as a lump began to form in her throat. To be honest she'd pushed her parent's deaths to one side, but now things were coming to an end with the war she knew she would have to deal with their loss and reconcile herself to the fact she would never see them again and the last words they'd said to one another were words of hatred and anger.

"So how can you even bear to be in the same room as me?" Draco asked as a sob threatened to break out. "How can you look at me and not hate me?"

"I love you, Draco," Hermione insisted as she gathered her boyfriend in her arms and held him as he broke down in tears. "I love you now more than ever. You've been through hell these last few months, and it was all for Lyra, your mother and me. How could I not love someone who would go through hell for the people he loved? I don't blame you for anything that's happened these last few months, and I never will."

"I don't deserve you," Draco whispered in a hoarse voice as he clung to Hermione.

"Yes, you do," Hermione said. "We belong together - you, me and Lyra. We love you so much Draco, and don't you ever forget that."

Both very much aware that they'd only just touched on the surface of everything they would have to deal with in the coming months, the young couple remained in each other's arms as they sought comfort together. They both knew it wasn't always going to be easy trying to get things back to normal and to carry on with their lives, but they both knew that it would be worth to effort. They truly did belong together and they wanted nothing more than to be there for each other as they watched their precious daughter grow up.

Eventually the couple got up from the floor and they settled themselves onto the bed as they waited for Dumbledore and the others to arrive from Hogwarts. Surprisingly it wasn't that long a wait and Hermione guessed they'd only been at Grimmauld Place for a couple of hours when they heard the floo network begin to sound repeatedly. After the first couple of rings, they then heard footsteps on the stairs and Blaise, Theo and Harry were the first ones into the room.

"How's our precious little Lyra?" Blaise asked, leaning over the bars of the crib and planting a light kiss on Lyra's head.

"She's fine," Hermione replied. "How are things at school?"

"Starting to take some semblance of order," Harry replied. "Dumbledore and the others are going to come up and quickly wake Lyra, before going back to school. I thought I would stay here though."

"I'd like that, Harry," Hermione said, giving her friend a hug.

At the sound of other people coming up the stairs, Blaise, Theo and Harry backed up towards the window to allow everyone else to enter the room. Since Draco hadn't been around when the extra protection spells were placed on Lyra, he was rather shocked when so many people piled into the room. Bill was even been propped up by Charlie as he'd suffered serious damage to his knee and couldn't walk unaided.

"Twelve people," Draco gasped as he did a quick headcount, not counting himself, Hermione, their friends and his mother. "Twelve of you were protecting my daughter?"

"Twelve?" Hermione frowned, checking through the group to work out who was missing. She knew poor Professor Sprout had been killed, but that should have left thirteen people who had offered their protection to Lyra. "Where's Madam Pince?" she asked with trepidation when she realised who was missing.

"I'm sorry Hermione, but we found her body just outside of the library," Molly said gently.

Hermione nodded as she bit back the tears of losing yet another person. Even though part of her felt so relieved and happy to have defeated Voldemort, another part of her felt weighed down by the losses they'd sustained along the way. It really wasn't fair that finally they'd defeated Voldemort and everyone wasn't around to enjoy the moment.

"Shall we proceed," Dumbledore said. "If everyone who offered their magic to protect Lyra could join hands and create a circle around her."

Backing away, Hermione and Draco held hands as they watched everyone gather in a circle around Lyra. Dumbledore than began to chant and slowly a golden glow began to form around the circle. When Dumbledore then stopped chanting the glow radiated outwards and Hermione and Draco were thrilled to hear their daughter let out a loud wail. Flying into the circle, Hermione plucked a very awake Lyra from her crib and cradled her against her body.

"Mummy and Daddy are here, princess," she cooed, turning to Draco with tears in her eyes. "She awake."

"I can't believe it," Draco said, wrapping his arms around both Hermione and his daughter. "Thank you," he said sincerely, looking around at everyone who had helped their daughter.

"You're most welcome, Draco," McGonagall replied with a smile and her sentiments were echoed around the group.

"We'll leave you alone with your daughter," Dumbledore said once he'd had a quick check of Lyra along with Madam Pomfrey and given the little girl a clean bill of health.

Once by one everyone said hello to Lyra before departing the bedroom. Finally it was just Draco, Hermione, Narcissa and their friends. After getting a hug from her granddaughter, Narcissa also left the room as she was planning on seeing if she could be of any use at Hogwarts.

"Do you want us to leave as well?" Blaise asked once the teenagers were alone with Lyra, who was a bit clingy and grouched every time Hermione moved her away from her chest.

"No, I'd like you all to stay," Hermione replied. "I really don't know what I would have done without you three, and of course Ron. He took his time, but he was there for us when it truly mattered."

"I've got a message for you off Ron," Harry said, sitting next to Hermione on the bed. "Both of you actually," he added as Draco sat down at the other side of his girlfriend. "He wants you to know he doesn't regret saving you, Draco. He also wants you to be happy together and to have a great life with Lyra. He loved you, Hermione, and he wanted you to know that."

"How do you know this?" Hermione asked, suspecting that Harry wasn't just saying what he thought she wanted to hear.

"He told me," Harry replied. "He sent messages for everyone he loved."

"I'm confused," Theo said as he and Blaise settled down on the couple of chairs in the room. "It sounds like you've spoken to Weasley after he'd been killed."

"I did," Harry said. Giving the baffled group a smile, he then proceeded to tell that what exactly had happened when Voldemort had killed him, and how he'd survived the killing curse for the second time in his life.


	40. Chapter 40

**A/N – With just two chapters and the epilogue to go, I've decided to finish publishing Power of Love this week, so there will be an extra update on Friday.**

* * *

Draco lay looking up at the ceiling as the early morning light began to filter into the bedroom. Beside him, Hermione was sleeping peacefully and Lyra was soundly sleeping in her crib at the bottom of the bed. However, Draco couldn't sleep as his entire future was hanging in the balance and he knew that events of that day would determine what sort of life he and his family would have.

It was two weeks since Voldemort had fallen at Hogwarts, and already a lot had changed for Draco, Hermione and Lyra. After a couple of days staying at Grimmauld Place they moved back to their house in Scotland with Narcissa, although they had plans to hopefully make a fresh start somewhere else. Blaise and Theo had also moved with them and were currently living in guest bedrooms of the house.

Theo's father had been arrested at Hogwarts along with the other Death Eaters, but he'd gone into custody willingly and hadn't created a scene. Theo had spoken to Dumbledore about speaking up for his father, especially since he'd help Theo and Blaise avoid being pressganged into the Death Eaters. Dumbledore had agreed to put in a good word for Theo's father and although he hadn't been able to do much, he had ensured that Mr Nott wasn't going to spend the rest of his life in Azkaban. Currently his sentence hadn't been decided, although it was looking likely he would face jail time for willingly taking the mark years ago, but both Theo and his father were accepting of that fact, and they knew as long as wasn't in Azkaban for too long they could get through it together and build a new life for their family.

As for Blaise, he'd written to his mother following Voldemort's downfall only to find her completely unconcerned by her only son's predicament. She was currently wooing yet another husband, and once she'd confirmed that Blaise wasn't expecting to go and live with her, she'd transferred her son some money into his Gringotts account so he could find somewhere to live. She'd then gone back to her normal life not giving Blaise another thought.

Unable to lie in bed any longer, Draco carefully slipped out of the large bed and wandered over to the window as he thought about the day ahead. Finally he was to be interviewed at the Ministry about his part in the war. Since Voldemort's fall, Draco had been overwhelmed by the unflinching support he'd received from the Order, but he was still worried about what the day could bring. Dumbledore had promised him that he wouldn't be sent to Azkaban, but Draco wasn't sure how the headmaster could be so confident. He knew Dumbledore had signed a pardon for him when he'd been forced to take the mark, but he also knew that it legally meant nothing as Dumbledore had no legal power at the Ministry.

Dreading the thought that his name might not be cleared, Draco leaned his head against the cool window. Staring out at the dark garden as the sun slowly rose, Draco was lost in his thoughts until a snuffling noise disturbed him. Recognising the sound of Lyra waking up, Draco headed over to his daughter and scooped her up into his arms before she began to cry and woke Hermione.

"Ssh, princess," he cooed, rocking his daughter in his arms. "Don't wake Mummy. She needs her rest."

It was actually a rarity for Hermione to still be soundly sleeping, as since they'd been reunited neither of them had been sleeping very well. As happy as they were to be back together, they'd both suffered a hell of a lot and they still hadn't processed half of what had happened to them. As a result, they were both sleeping restlessly and more often than not they were both awake ridiculously early.

"You're a good girl, Lyra," Draco whispered, settling into the rocking chair in the corner of the room with his daughter, who was now wide awake and looking at him with her big, soulful eyes. "No matter what happens today, I want you to remember that I love you and your Mummy. You're the best thing that's ever happened to me, Lyra."

Feeling himself getting emotional, Draco stopped talking and just held his daughter close. After months of not knowing how Lyra was or how she was coping, Draco was holding onto his daughter as often as he could. It was as though he was terrified they were going to be parted again and he wanted to make sure he didn't miss a second with his precious daughter.

For nearly half an hour, father and daughter sat in comfortable silence in the rocking chair, but then Lyra began to get restless. Knowing she didn't need feeding or changing, Draco suspected his daughter was just growing impatient with the silence. Draco had found that his daughter was so used to people being around and fussing over her that she didn't really like the peace and quiet.

"Okay, okay, I'll sing to you," Draco whispered, glancing over at Hermione and seeing that she was still sleeping. "Twinkle, twinkle, little star," he began to sing in a soft voice.

As he sang his daughter's favourite song, Lyra began to giggle happily and clap her hands together. By the time the song was finished, Lyra was beaming happily so Draco sang for her a second time. As he did so, he failed to notice Hermione waking up and smiling at the sight of the two of them sitting in the corner singing nursery rhymes.

"You've got a good voice," Hermione remarked when Draco stopped singing.

"You're awake," Draco said, blushing slightly at the fact Hermione had heard him sing. It wasn't something he generally did and he was a bit self-conscious of the fact his girlfriend had heard him.

"I am," Hermione confirmed as she hopped out of bed and padded over to where the two most important people in her life were sitting. "And seeing you and Lyra together is the perfect sight to wake up to."

"Let's hope you still get to wake up to it after today," Draco said sombrely.

"Nothing is going to happen to you today, Draco," Hermione insisted, squeezing her boyfriend's arm. "Dumbledore has already promised to be right by your side as you're interviewed. He won't let anything happen to you."

"I know he's going to try his best, but it doesn't mean he can prevent the Ministry from throwing me into Azkaban," Draco pointed out. "He's not the Minister of Magic."

"No, but the acting Minister is part of the Order," Hermione pointed out. "Kingsley has seen first-hand some of the suffering Lyra and I went through. I know he'll be on your side."

"Just don't get your hopes up," Draco cautioned. "I know you might not want to, but you're going to have to prepare yourself for the fact I might not come back from the Ministry."

"I refuse to even think such a thing," Hermione said in indignation as she plucked Lyra from Draco's arms. "Come on princess, let's get you ready for the day. We've got a party to organise for Daddy."

"Party?" Draco questioned, trailing after his girlfriend as she wandered into the bathroom with Lyra.

"More of a gathering of friends and loved ones," Hermione corrected. "We're all going to be here waiting for you when you've finished at the Ministry. I'm not sure you're quite ready to believe just how many people love and care for you, Draco. We're not alone anymore. We've got a whole world of people ready to support us."

Knowing there was nothing he could say that would dissuade his girlfriend from gathering everyone at their house, Draco thanked her for her love and support before he began to get ready for the day ahead. By the time Draco, Hermione and Lyra were all dressed they could hear movement in other parts of the house and within half an hour everyone was downstairs eating breakfast. Or rather most people were eating, but all Draco could do was pick at his food.

"Are you sure you don't want us to come with you?" Narcissa asked her son as after breakfast he prepared to floo to the Ministry alone.

"No, I need to do this alone," Draco replied. As much as he would have loved to have Hermione at his side, he hadn't yet told her everything that had happened to him and he didn't want to hear about some of the terrible things he'd partaken in at the Ministry, he wanted to be able to confide in her in his own time and when he was truly ready to talk about what life had been like for him under Voldemort's control.

"We may not be with you in person, but Lyra and I will be there in spirit," Hermione said as she kissed her boyfriend and handed him Lyra to grab a hug off. "We love you Draco, never forget that."

"I love you too," Draco whispered, kissing both Hermione and Lyra as he prayed that he would soon be back with them and Narcissa.

Saying a quick goodbye to Blaise and Theo, and yet again thanking them for all their support, Draco took a deep breath and flooed to the Ministry. Given the state the wizarding world was in it was no surprise that the Ministry was a hive of activity as people worked to calm the public and restore order to society.

Draco was due to meet Dumbledore in the Auror Department, and when he stepped from the lift on the correct floor he found the headmaster was already waiting for him. Dumbledore greeted him warmly, and as if sensing his nerves he produced a piece of parchment from his robes and handed it to Draco.

"What is it?" Draco asked, unrolling the parchment and finding a long list of names. Some of the names were members of the Order, some were former classmates, some were Professors and some were people he didn't know.

"A list of people who are willing to stand up for you," Dumbledore replied.

Draco stared at the list in surprise, overwhelmed by the sheer volume of names. All of the Weasleys were there, despite the fact they were still trying to get over losing both Arthur and Ron. Every single surviving Professor and Hogwarts staff members were on the list, despite the fact Draco would have sworn that not all of them even liked him.

"Why would half of these people do this?" Draco questioned, his eyes falling on the name Augusta Longbottom, which was listed after Neville's name. "Is this Neville's grandmother here?"

"Yes, Augusta is on the list."

"But I don't even know her," Draco protested.

"She was there at Hogwarts, she saw what side you were truly on," Dumbledore explained. "You have a lot of support Draco. Even people who don't know you want to stand up and make sure you're not punished for something you had no control over. Everyone knows you did what you had to for Lyra, and the Ministry will see that."

Draco nodded, hoping Dumbledore was right and that the Ministry did indeed see the truth behind his reasons for being part of Voldemort's army. Although he didn't have to wait long to get his answer, as the acting Minister for Magic, Kingsley Shackelbolt appeared with a couple of Aurors and escorted Draco and Dumbledore into a large room where a selection of the Wizengamot were waiting.

Settling down in front of the people who would decide his future, Draco was silent as Dumbledore said as few words explaining the situation and handed over the lists of people willing to speak for Draco. It was then Draco's turn under the spotlight and for the next three hours he relived his time with Voldemort as he told the Wizengamot everything and answered every question they threw in his direction.

"We'd like a few moments to consult with each other," Kingsley finally said to an emotionally drained Draco.

Numbly, Draco left the room to wait for a verdict. He wasn't sure if he could be sent straight to Azkaban without a trial, or if the Wizengamot would merely decide that a proper trial would be in order. In that case, Draco suspected he would be kept in custody as every other Death Eater awaiting trial, including his father, was currently in custody.

After what seemed like the longest time of his life, but in reality was just over ten minutes, Draco was ushered back into the room. He tried to decipher what the verdict was going to be by Dumbledore's face, but the headmaster's expression was unreadable as he sat comfortably in his chair.

"We'll not drag this out Draco," Kingsley said with a kind smile. "We all feel that you've got nothing to answer for. We accept that you were forced into servitude by Voldemort, and that he kept you in line by threatening the life of your baby daughter. We all commend you for your bravery in what must have been an awful time in your life. We also want to reassure you that no stain will remain on your character. You will not be named as an official Death Eater, or be held responsible for anything the Death Eaters have done over the last few months. You're free to go, Draco. Go back to your family and live the life you deserve."

"Thank you," Draco replied, his voice choked with emotion as the relief of being pardoned hit him like a ton of bricks.

Once outside of the room, Draco wholeheartedly thanked Dumbledore for his support. He then headed back down to the atrium, and still slightly giddy with what had happened, he flooed home to share the good news with his family.

When Draco arrived home he was greeted not just by Hermione, but by dozens of other people as well. True to her word, Hermione had gathered the people who had supported them over the last few months. The Weasleys were all present, as were Harry, Sirius and Remus. Dean, Neville and Seamus were all there, along with a few Professors. Snape was there, after also being cleared off all wrong doing as he'd merely been acting as a spy on Dumbledore's instructions, and he was looking rather friendly with Narcissa. Even his Aunt Andromeda was present with her husband, Ted.

"Well?" Blaise demanded as Draco entered the living room and everyone fell silent.

"I'm free," Draco replied. "No charges to answer, and I won't be named as an official Death Eater."

"Draco, that's wonderful," Narcissa declared with relief as Hermione hugged Draco and reunited him yet again with Lyra.

"Told you," Hermione whispered to her boyfriend as people congratulated him.

"You were right," Draco conceded with a smile. "But you should have seen the list Dumbledore presented to the Ministry. It was full of people who wanted to speak up for me."

"Our plight has touched a lot of people," Hermione said. "But it's over now."

"Not quite," Draco replied quietly. "Father's still to stand trial. It's not over until I know he's out of our lives for good."

"Which he will be when he's sent to Azkaban for the rest of his worthless life," Hermione said, wrapping her arms around Draco and engulfing him in her embrace. "This is the beginning of our future, Draco. The rest of our lives start now."

"I'll drink to that," Draco said, grabbing a drink and proposing a toast.

Standing in the centre of the room, Draco, Hermione and Lyra were united as a family as everyone drank to the future. It was finally time to leave the war behind them and look to the future, which once again seemed bright and full of potential.


	41. Chapter 41

Sitting alone in his holding cell at Azkaban, Lucius prepared himself for the day ahead as he was due to go to the Ministry and receive the verdict of his two day trial. He wasn't a stupid man and he knew full well that he would be returning to Azkaban once the verdict was read, only this time there would be no leaving again. He was about to be imprisoned for life for his crimes as a Death Eater.

Lucius knew he was facing life imprisonment as his was the final trial, and the precedent had already been set with the earlier trials. The trials had started six weeks after Voldemort's downfall, starting with those facing lesser charges and ending with the most influential Death Eaters. Lucius was actually proud of the fact his trial was the last as it meant that the Ministry viewed him as the most dangerous Death Eater left alive.

Despite being in holding cell in Azkaban, Lucius still knew the verdicts of other trials as his lawyer visited him every couple of days and kept him abreast of the latest news. The first people to be tried were Draco's classmates, Gregory Goyle, Pansy Parkinson and Vincent Crabbe. They were the youngest marked Death Eaters, and although the only battle they'd taken part in was the final battle, they were made an example of. They each received a year in Azkaban, with their future magic then subject to monitoring for the next ten years.

The verdict had shocked many people, but it was a sign that the Ministry weren't going to be lenient this time around. Association with the Death Eaters was going to lead to incarceration, no matter who you were or how old you were. After the first verdicts, every other Death Eater then received a custodial sentence, the only difference being the length of the sentence which varied from prisoner to prisoner.

Much to Lucius's annoyance, one of the lesser sentences went to Nott. He was only sent to Azkaban for three years, and that was for taking the mark in the first place. He was virtually pardoned for events of recent years, and was in fact praised for keeping his son and Blaise Zabini out of the clutches of The Dark Lord. Lucius had been fuming when he'd heard that Nott had saved Theo and Blaise, and if he'd been free, he would have made sure the other wizard had paid for his betrayal of Voldemort. However, he was stuck in Azkaban with no way of getting to Nott, so for now the other wizard was safe.

It was via his lawyer that Lucius discovered that both Draco and Severus Snape had avoided even being arrested, let alone put on trial. Yet again, Dumbledore had stood up for Snape and claimed he was working as a spy all along and was never loyal to Voldemort. Lucius had thought Snape was just taking advantage of Dumbledore and his trustful nature after the headmaster had saved him following the first war, but now he knew the truth. Snape was a traitor, and his loyalty had always been to Dumbledore rather than The Dark Lord.

As for Draco, Lucius wasn't really surprised that his son avoided being arrested. Too many people knew the story of how he'd been forced to do Voldemort's bidding, and Lucius suspected quite a few of them felt pity for his son. More than likely Draco had been let go without and charges because the Ministry felt sorry for him. Not only had he been forced into serving Voldemort, but his daughter had been killed in the process.

At the thought of the daughter his son had lost, Lucius let out a low cackle. His lawyer hadn't been able to give him any information about Draco's personal life, so he didn't know if Hermione was still standing by him, but Lucius doubted it. It had now been three months since Voldemort had fallen, and in Lucius's opinion that was more than enough time for Hermione to have dealt with her loss and decided that Draco was to blame for the death of their little girl. After all, Voldemort had only killed her because Draco had failed him.

Lucius was still thinking about what his son's life was now going to be like when the guards appeared to escort him to the Ministry to hear the verdict. Lucius didn't put up any sort of resistance as the guards magically cuffed him and escorted him to the Ministry. He was then placed in a waiting room beside the courtroom until he was called to hear the verdict.

As he sat and waited for his name to be called, Lucius thought back over the previous two days of his trial. Every Death Eater had been given the chance to defend their actions and Lucius had been no different. However, unlike some people who tried to backtrack and say they were forced into doing what they did, Lucius had stood proud and openly admitted that if he had the chance again, he would still join The Dark Lord. He knew he was destined to spend the rest of his life in Azkaban, so he wasn't going to deny his dark allegiance. It had been different after the first war, when Lucius had managed to avoid jail by doing just that, but this time The Dark Lord wasn't coming back. He was gone and the war was lost.

When the door to the room he was sitting in suddenly opened, Lucius looked up expecting to find the guards ready to escort him into the courtroom, but instead it was his lawyer that entered. Lucius's lawyer, an old wizard named Hugo Mann, had served the Malfoys for years and was paid a healthy retainer for his services, but Lucius knew that upon the verdict the pair would be going their separate directions. It wasn't as if he was going to be needing a lawyer where he was going.

"Is there a problem?" Lucius asked his lawyer.

"No, just a few things I thought we should deal with before you go into court," Hugo replied, removing several pieces of parchment from his briefcase.

"Our final bit of business," Lucius chuckled.

"You could say that," Hugo replied. "We both know what's going to happen to you today, Lucius."

"Indeed we do," Lucius answered, knowing his lawyer was watching him to see if he regretted the actions that had led him down this path.

The truth was, he didn't and while going to Azkaban for the rest of his life wasn't ideal, it was something Lucius had made peace with. The dark may have lost the war and he may be classed among the losers, but in the most important ways Lucius had emerged victorious from the war. He'd managed to get rid of the half breed granddaughter his son had produced, and give the Malfoy name the chance to start over. Draco could now go on and have legitimate, pureblood heirs with his first daughter dead before she reached her first birthday.

"You really don't regret anything, do you?" Hugo questioned. Even though he'd known Lucius for decades, and had helped him escape prison after the first war, he was still taken aback by the callous man in front of him.

"Not a thing," Lucius confirmed. "Granted, I wish the result of the final battle had been different, but there was nothing I could do to prevent that. But as for my own actions, I don't regret any of them."

Shaking his head sadly, Hugo began to sort through the papers that he needed Lucius to sign. "First of all we have the transfer deed for all the Malfoy money, houses and businesses."

"Do you really think Draco will take this?" Lucius asked as he signed the required forms which would make his son one of the richest wizards in the country.

"I don't know, but even if he refuses, everything will be transferred into his name the second you're sentenced to life imprisonment. As a life-long resident of Azkaban, you lose everything. I guess if Draco refuses to take his inheritance now, it'll just sit in his name until he's ready to accept it."

"Is that it?" Lucius asked, seeing that there were more papers he'd yet to sign.

"There is one more thing," Hugo said hesitantly, unsure of how Lucius would react to the papers he next wanted him to sign. "Divorce papers from Narcissa."

"Divorce?" Lucius snarled, genuinely shocked by the news that his wife had filed for divorce.

He'd never heard one peek from Narcissa since his arrest, but he'd never thought she would try and divorce him. He was positive she would just get on with her life and try to forget he ever existed. But yet here she was, trying to do the impossible and divorce him. Divorce wasn't easy in the wizarding would and a marriage would only be ended for a valid reason, but as purebloods both he and Narcissa had been raised not to believe in divorce. For them marriage was for life, no matter what state the marriage was in or the trials and tribulations it suffered.

"I won't sign," Lucius declared angrily. "I will not let her go."

"You won't have much choice in the long run, Lucius," Hugo said. "Narcissa had already placed the application with the Ministry. Even if you refuse to sign, they'll look at the facts and give her what she wants. All I'm trying to do is quicken things up and lessen the hurt all around."

"You mean lessen Narcissa's hurt," Lucius spat. "You want to help her avoid being referred to as the wife of a notorious Death Eater. Well tough, that's exactly what she is. She is my wife, and I will not sign one thing that ends our marriage. Let the Ministry do as they wish, but in my heart Narcissa will be my wife until the day I die."

"Very well," Hugo muttered with a resigned sigh as he returned the papers into his briefcase.

He hadn't really expected Lucius to give Narcissa an easy divorce, but at least Lucius hadn't kicked up a fuss about transferring the Malfoy fortune into his son's name. Although if he knew certain things, Hugo was convinced that Lucius wouldn't have done that either and he would have found some way to try and deny Draco his rightful inheritance. But it was too late for that now, the second Lucius had signed the papers he became a pauper and his son took over as head of the family.

"Do you think we can get this over with sometime today," Lucius snapped, growing impatient of waiting for a verdict that he already knew.

"It should be any minute now," Hugo answered.

Two minutes later the door opened again and the guards entered to escort Lucius into court. With his lawyer at his side, Lucius walked into the courtroom with his head held high. Settling down at the defendants table, he ignored the guards securing him to the chair as his piercing grey eyes swept along the spectator gallery. As with the previous two days there was no sign of his wife or son, but there were plenty of people he knew.

Right at the front of the spectators sat Harry Potter and Albus Dumbledore, both of whom had testified against Lucius. Next to Harry sat Draco's best friends, Blaise and Theo. They'd both been present since the start of the trial and Lucius was sure that they were reporting back to Draco. Giving his son's friends a smirk to let them know he didn't regret a thing, Lucius turned his head back to the front of the room as he watched the Wizengamot file into the room and take their seats.

Finally, the acting Minister of Magic, Kingsley Shackelbolt entered the courtroom and settled down in his seat. However, before he could begin the side door to the court opened and everyone turned in their seats to witness a composed looking Narcissa Malfoy entering the room, with Severus Snape at her side.

Lucius gasped at the surprise sight of his wife, but his face soon set in a hard scowl as Narcissa sat down next to Severus and the Potions Professor took hold of her hand. Lucius growled at the sight of another wizard touching his wife, and suddenly Narcissa's desire for a divorce made sense. She wasn't just wanting to get away from him, she was wanting to be with Severus, and Lucius wasn't having any of it. He would fight the divorce with everything he had and it would be a cold day in hell before he let Severus Snape take his wife off him.

Lucius was still smarting over seeing Narcissa and Severus together when he received a further shock as Draco then appeared through the side door. Draco paused in the doorway, his grey eyes locking onto his father's. Lucius had expected to see grief in Draco's expression after all he'd suffered, but instead his son smirked at him and Lucius felt his blood run cold as Draco stepped to one side and a brunette witch entered the room carrying a cute, blonde little girl.

"No," Lucius wailed, recognising the witch as Hermione Granger.

"Yes," Draco hissed, loud enough for Lucius to hear him. "We win father."

"It's not possible," Lucius seethed, turning to his lawyer. "How is this possible? How does the brat live?"

"Our daughter lives because people protected her. Dumbledore protected her," Hermione answered, knowing that everyone in the court was listening and watching Lucius's humiliation. "Instead of dying, Lyra merely fell into a coma when Voldemort snapped her ribbon. When he was then killed, our daughter woke up and our family was reunited."

"And so the Malfoy family line continues, not with a pureblood, but with a half-blood," Draco finished. "And we've come here today to witness the end of you."

"No, this is not the end," Lucius yelled, turning red as he struggled against the magical binds keeping him in his seat.

He could cope with going to Azkaban when he knew he'd triumphed over his son and that the family name wasn't tainted, but there was no way he could be sanguine about his punishment now he knew his granddaughter lived. How on earth was he supposed to cope stuck in Azkaban, knowing that he'd been foiled and that Draco had won? It would eat him alive being stuck in Azkaban knowing that his son was with a mudblood and that their daughter would be inheriting his fortune.

"This is not over," Lucius screamed as the guards tried to get him to calm down. "I won't let this stand, Draco. You're no son of mine, I'll disinherit you."

"Actually, it's too late for that," Hugo said quietly. "Draco is already the head of the family, it was legal the second you signed the papers."

"No, I won't allow it," Lucius hollered like a mad man.

"Enough!" Kingsley bellowed, pounding a gavel onto the bench in front of him. "Order in the court."

Lucius paid no attention to the Minister as he continued to rant and rave against his son and his family. Eventually the guards had to drag Lucius out of court before his verdict could be read. Not that it truly mattered as he was given a life sentence with no chance of release, just as he'd been expecting.

A couple of hours later, a far from accepting Lucius was shoved back into his new cell at Azkaban. He was ranting and raving like a madman and as he eventually calmed down he was forced to face the fact that he had lost. He was stuck in Azkaban while Draco was free to live his life with the witch and child that Lucius had worked so hard to get rid of. And to top it all off they would have all the Malfoy fortune at their disposal, while Lucius was penniless and stuck in a tiny cell for the rest of his life. Lucius would have to live with his failure night and day, knowing that somewhere Draco was happy and content with Hermione, Lyra and any future children they might have. Lucius had lost, and the love Draco had for his girlfriend and daughter had won.


	42. Epilogue

**A/N – This is just a short epilogue to round up the story. I want to thank everyone for reading this story, and especially those who took the time to leave me a review. Thanks for the support, and I'll be back in a couple of weeks with a new story.**

* * *

 **Five Years Later.**

It was a glorious day as the guests gathered for the wedding of Narcissa Black and Severus Snape. Even though Lucius had refused to sign divorce papers after he went sent to Azkaban, the Ministry still granted Narcissa her divorce and she'd gone back to using her maiden name. For Narcissa, her life as a Malfoy was over, but she knew Draco would carry on the Malfoy name and redeem it from all the damage Lucius had caused.

Five years after the war, Draco had done just that and even though Lucius was still alive, and rotting in Azkaban, when people thought of the name Malfoy, they thought of Draco and his family. He and Hermione were now married, and had been for nearly four years. The couple were also expecting their second child. Lyra was a bubbly child approaching her sixth birthday, with no lasting effects from her coma and she was loved by everyone who knew her.

The wedding was taking place at Draco and Hermione's large house in the Wiltshire countryside. Once Draco had come into possession of the Malfoy fortune he'd sold off almost every property and business so he could start afresh, which he'd done so with Hermione at his side as his partner in life and business. The house he and Hermione lived in had been built from scratch for the couple, and even though it was almost as large as Malfoy Manor, it was a proper, warm and welcoming family home.

As for Malfoy Manor, Draco had knocked down the entire building and gave the land to the Ministry so they could build a community centre for wizarding children. When Lucius heard of what his son had done to the family home, he'd had a heart attack. Not that it had elicited much sympathy from either Draco or Narcissa, and neither of them had visited him while he was sick in hospital. Much to Lucius's distress the heart attack didn't kill him, and after a couple of weeks in hospital, he was transferred back to Azkaban to continue his life of misery knowing his son hadn't just married a muggleborn and had a child with her, he'd now destroyed the only home Lucius had ever known and handed the land over to the Ministry without making a single Knut.

"I think we're nearly ready," Hermione informed Draco as she peeked outside and saw all the guests were seated.

"Yeah, I think everyone is here," Draco confirmed with a nod, before turning to where his mother and future step-father were preparing to tie the knot.

Narcissa and Severus had decided to have a low key wedding, which meant no large bridal party. Severus didn't have a best man and Narcissa had no bridesmaids and no-one to give her away. They would walk down the aisle together. The only exception was Lyra, who was a flower girl and was dressed in her own specially made dress.

"Are you ready?" Draco asked.

"We're ready," Narcissa replied. "Are you?"

"I am," Draco answered. He knew his mother and Severus had been wary of telling him they were together, but he couldn't be happier for them. They both deserved happiness, and Draco couldn't think of a better wizard for his mother than Severus.

"See you out there," Hermione said, kissing both Narcissa and Severus on the cheek before reminding her daughter to do as they'd practised with the flowers as she led her grandmother and step-grandfather down the aisle.

Hand in hand, Draco and Hermione headed out into the warm garden where they took their seats at the front of the gathering. Almost everyone who had been involved with the Order during the war was present as they were still a tight knit group and they'd supported each other as they'd moved on from the devastating events of the war.

Moments later the harpist began to play and the air was filled with oohing and aahing as Lyra made her appearance, looking adorable in her new lilac dress. As Lyra skipped down the aisle, scattering rose petals, she waved to everyone she knew. Which to be fair was most of the congregation as she had a special place in almost everyone's hearts after what she went through in the war. She had more surrogate aunts and uncles than Hermione could count, and when it came to birthdays and Christmases she was always overwhelmed with presents.

Narcissa and Severus calmly walked down the aisle behind Lyra, their happiness obvious for everyone to see. When they reached the front of the aisle, where a minister was waiting to marry them, they both hugged Lyra and sent her off to her seat beside Hermione and Draco.

"Was I good?" Lyra whispered to Draco.

"You were perfect, princess," Draco replied, hugging his precious daughter.

Hermione smiled at the interaction as she reached over and took Draco's hand in hers. Weddings always made her emotional and she was fully expecting to be crying by the end of the ceremony. Sure enough as Narcissa and Severus exchanged heartfelt vows, Hermione descended into a blubbering mess. By the time they were announced as man and wife and shared their first kiss as a married couple, Hermione had tears streaming down her face.

"You didn't even cry this much when we got married," Draco chuckled as he handed his wife a handkerchief. At their own wedding, Hermione has been overcome with emotion as they said their vows and even Draco had to fight back tears as he was finally married to the witch he loved.

"It's the hormones," Hermione explained, patting her large stomach. At seven months pregnant she was fairly heavy, and she swore she was never as big when she was carrying Lyra.

"Sure it is," Draco replied with a smirk, kissing the top of his wife's head.

"It is," Hermione protested with a chuckle.

Hormones or not, it was an emotional ceremony all round and Hermione hadn't been the only one to shed a tear as the happy couple exchanged vows. Although those weren't the only tears shed that day as at the reception Draco reduced more than a few people to tears when he gave his moving speech and told everyone what his mother meant to him. He credited her with getting him through the worst period of his life, and there was a moment of silence as everyone remembered those terrible days during the war.

Fortunately there was also plenty of happiness as people celebrated the happy occasion. Even though the day belonged to Narcissa and Severus, Lyra was still the centre of attention and she happily danced with everyone. However, even Lyra couldn't go on all night and before the party had broken up she was dead on her feet.

"I'll take her to bed," Draco said, picking up his daughter from where she was lying on Remus's knee at the table where he was sitting laughing and joking with the Weasley twins, Harry, Sirius, Blaise and Theo.

"I'll come with you," Hermione offered.

"You can stay here," Draco told his wife. "I won't be long."

"I could do with a break," Hermione said, stifling a yawn. To be honest she quite envied Lyra being carried off to bed, but she could hardly go to bed herself when she and Draco were hosting the wedding party for his mother and Severus.

Leaving the party going on in their back garden, Draco and Hermione let Lyra say her goodnights before they carried her off to bed. Fortunately the rooms in the house were all sound proofed, so even though the party was going on below Lyra's window, her room was nice and peaceful.

"Daddy, what's this?" Lyra asked sleeping, her small fingers tracing the red scar on Draco's left forearm as he tucked her into bed. "Grandpa Sev has one."

Draco glanced over at Hermione, wondering what he should say. The red scar was a remnant of The Dark Mark, and although it wasn't as nasty as the actual mark, it was still a visible reminder of his past. A past that one day he knew his daughter would find out about.

"Tell her," Hermione whispered as she joined her husband on her daughter's bed. "Tell her how it's a mark of your bravery."

"Is it?" Draco asked, looking down at the dull red scar on his forearm.

"Yes," Hermione replied with a firm nod. "You took the mark for us. You took it to save Lyra."

Hermione now knew every single thing Draco had done while he was Voldemort's prisoner. It hadn't been easy for Draco to tell her everything, not had it been easy to hear. But they'd gotten everything out in the open as they'd known it was the only way to move on with their lives. There were no secrets between the couple, and together they'd been able to deal with the war and its effects on their lives.

Knowing that Hermione was right, and Lyra deserved to know the truth, Draco turned back to his daughter still not sure what he was going to say to her. However, answering Lyra's question wasn't an issue that night as events of the day had caught up with the five year old, and while waiting for her father's answer she'd drifted off to sleep. Leaning forward he pressed a gentle kiss to her forehead and brushed her curly blond hair away from her face.

"We'll tell her the truth one day," Hermione vowed to her husband. "One day she'll know just what her father did for her. One day both of our children will know how brave you were."

"How brave we both were," Draco corrected. "I wasn't the only one suffering. You carried on without me. You looked after Lyra when I couldn't be there for you."

"I had a lot of help," Hermione replied, tilting her head towards the window where down below everyone she'd relied on during the war were celebrating Narcissa and Severus's wedding. "We were never alone, Draco."

"And you'll never be alone again," Draco promised, kissing his wife passionately.

With one final check of their daughter, the couple headed downstairs to re-join the party, happy in the knowledge that ultimately good had won. The dark had been vanquished and love and light had prevailed.

 **The End.**


End file.
